Hime of the Stars
by Frau-chan n Yaa-chan
Summary: An alien Natsuki. Imperial Star Forces. A humankind Shizuru. Nobility. Two different person meet create new history of mankind or is it alienkind?
1. Prologue

Prologue

It was a clear night sky. It seemed to engulf anyone who looked up at it. A satellite, which the planet Kiyo did not have until just thirty days ago, flew by slowly between stars. It was as if it looked down upon the inhabitants of the planet, and reigned over them like the master. The satellite let out a radiance. Perhaps the moon around the Earth looked similar to it. The speckles of light that surrounded it were probably the Hime warships. Those were actually reigned over the 10 million inhabitants of Kiyo.

Out of the swarms that soared through the sky, too quickly to be a star, leaving a trail of light, there were even those were close enough to surface for its shape to be recognised. It seemed like a dream. Though she should felt hatred, Shizuru was instead fascinated by it. Fujino Shizuru was eight years old then. She was ten by the standard calendar of Earth that certain fans of the archaic used. Either way, she was very young. Though it was already past a child's bedtime, she looked up at the night sky intently from the rooftop park of the composite buildings.

A long time before Shizuru was born, back when mankind only lived upon the system called the solar system, an Oort cloud survey ship, dispatched by some nation discovered a peculiar microscopic particle 0.3 light years from the sun. It released roughly 500 megawatts of energy. No one could tell where that energy came from. There were those that said it was a white hole. There were also theories that it leads to an alternate dimension, subspace, superspace, or just some other universe. This particles then named Yuanon, and was research upon. Not long after the discoveries, so a starship with Yuanon propulsion was designed. This first Yuanon propelled starship was constructed, and dubbed "The Pioneer". Thus begin the history of interstellar colonization.

A single spaceship appeared from the Yuanon. Though that spaceship ignored all communication, it circled the planet Kiyo three times, and returned to the light engulf spherical space, leaving the population of Kiyo the 81th day of the same month of the same year, a large fleet appeared from the sphere. This time, they requested to communicate with the planet. They called themselve the Hime. That was the name of their race. Though they had dark green eyes and pale face, they looked just like mankind. In fact they all look young and beautiful. They stated- We may look a little peculiar, but we are the children of earth as well. We just tweaked our genes slightly.

The Hime supposedly ruled over 1500 inhabited worlds and more than 20,000 semi-inhabited systems. The ruling body, their nation was officially called "The Hime Empire". The planetary government immediately tried to negotiate an alliance, but High Commander of the fleet Kruger, declined their offer. Unfortunately, High Commander Kruger said "We can't do that. Our mission isn't to make allies for Empire, but to add another world to the territory of Her Majesty, The Empress. It was shock even to those who suspected the Hime of being invaders because their leading a fleet of warships instead of unarmed starships. They didn't expect a statement this blunt of their intentions. Wasn't it normal to begin with quiet negotiations first? Even if it quickly turned into threats and extortions.

"I am -" The High Commander began "-not only military officer, but also a diplomat. To tell you the truth, I am also the successor to the throne. My will is the will of the Empire. At least in dealing with you people it is. I understand your worries, so I will explain what it is like to become a subject of the Empire. But we cannot negotiate concerning your rights. They will be those of the subjects on the Empire." And so, an image of the High Commander from the Flagship was broadcast. The common populace saw an image of the invader for the first time. The wolf-like ears and intricate headpiece looked like crown point out of long golden yellow hair that reached down to her waist. The hair shines with radiance from the lighting in the warship. With a pale color face, dark green eyes, they looked more like fearies from the fairy tale than invader from space. The snow-white face was that of a beautiful young women about 25 years in age. The expression on the beautiful face was empty, as if she considered conquering the Kiyo system to be quite a boring duty. "I will begin my explanation of the relation between the Empire and its subject planets." The Imperial Princess of the Hime Empire said in plain voice. "First, your system will become property of a noble. Because of the uniqueness of the system, Her Majesty the Empress herself will become your lord for a period. Of course, Her Majesty has quite a few other business, so a Viceroy will be dispatched to the system. We considered ruling over a planet to be far from exciting, so as long as the inhabitants of the surface are able to take care of themselves, normally neither the Lord nor the Viceroy will give a care as to how you run your planet. Of course, this will applied in your case as well. You shall elect someone to represent yourselves. That person will negotiate with the Empire, or your Lord or your Viceroy as a representative of your planet. We don't care what you name the position. President, Leader, CEO, even Emperor is fine. If you wish to fool yourselves into thinking that you are independent world, you can even call him Ambassador. But that position will be recorded on the official paper of the Empire as "Planetary Representative." Of course, you can select who it is freely. Election, wars, volunteer, drawing straw, however you wish. But the approval of the Lord is required for that person to become your Planetary Representative. Usually it's just a ceremony, but he may veto someone who is outwardly against the Empire. The Lord does not have a right to tax you. In exchange, he has complete control over your planet's trade with other worlds. There are only two points that the Empire forces upon your world. First, we forbid the construction of ships capable of the interstellar travel. We will not allow ship to travel to other systems through planar and normal space. Secondly, we will place an office for recruitment into the Imperial Star Forces. We will not take recruit without their approval, so it's on volunteer term. However, we will not allow government to disallow people to volunteer to join the Star Force. Though you are currently subjects of the Empire, if you join the Star Forces, or become vassals for your Lord, you may become citizens of the Empire. In that case, you would lose your relation to the Planetary Government, and be place under Imperial government. We don't expect loyalty to the Empire or the Empress, so usually people forget that they are the subject of the Empire. That's end my explanation. If you have further questions, my subordinates will answer them in my place. After that you may decide whether to peacefully accept becoming subjects of the Empire, or to have that role forced upon you at the end of the war. I personally think that the ecosystem on this world is precious, but don't think that that fact will deter me from burning the surface to ashes if necessary. Fortunately, your city is very clearly apparent. So we should be able to destroy it with minimal effect to the surroundings".

The time limit for surrendering is in three days. President Fujino Hideshi stood in front of the communications equipment for the President with his decision, as the time limit approached.

"So, this is where you were." A familiar voices called out from behind. "I was looking for you." "Ara, yes." Shizuru turned around.

A thin and tall middle-aged man stood there. He is Yanagi Shiro, President Fujino secretary. He had been President's secretary ever since he became a council member, and had been friends since before Shizuru was born. Shizuru knew him all her life too. This man raised Shizuru as family. Shizuru doesn't know her mother. She was the director of operations at mines, and died due to an accident before Shizuru could even crawl. Fujino Hideshi felt uncomfortable about raising Shizuru by himself, and was very busy from politics, so he asked his trusted friend, Yanagi Shiro and his wife, Leena to raise Shizuru. Shizuru love Yanagi's family for she is closer to the secretary family rather than her own father. Now, Yanagi's slightly dark and thin face showed a sign of disapproval.

"Kanin na…" Shizuru apologized. She though Yanagi was angry because she going outside on such a dark, and especially dangerous night. "I'll go back to my room."

"That doesn't matter. Come with me" He said strongly as he grabbed Shizuru's wrist. Shizuru was scared because something seemed the matter with Yanagi. Her wrist felt burn.

"Where are we going?" "The Executive Office." "The Executive Office? What are we going there for?" Going to the Executive Office meant meeting with her father. What could her father want with her during such an emergency?

"Just come." Yanagi turned around and walked away.

"Aahh..Wait for me!" Since Yanagi had large strides even for an adult, Shizuru had to run to keep up with him.

"We don't have time, hurry!" the secretary didn't even turn around. He finally caught up in front of the elevator box.

"Are you mad about something? I apologize if you are, so…."

Yanagi didn't respond. He just tapped the wall of the box impatiently with his index finger until the elevator arrived. When they walk toward the carpark, Shizuru couldn't stand the silence anymore. "Can we win?"

"There's no win or lose. There's not going to be a war." An angry voice replied. "Then did we surrender?"

Yanagi glared at the little girl. "Yeah, your father decided to surrender. No, that's not it, he sold us."

"Sold? What do you mean sold….?"

"Hideshi made a deal with them. A dirty deal." Yanagi spit out with fury.

"A deal?"

"Stop repeating me like a parrot!"

"K..ka..kanin na" Shizuru shied away.

"I was against war too. We couldn't posibbly win. But I didn't expect him to make such deal! Damn that Hideshi!".

Shizuru was sad. She felt pride in the fact that she had two fathers. But the father who raise her was now cursing at her father by birth. She felt faint. The father who raised her look at Shizuru guiltily. "Kanin na. It's not your fault. I don't blame you. Like I said earlier, Hideshi made a deal. They'll announce exactly what the deal is in less than ten minutes. Once that happens, everyone on Kiyo will hate him. There will people who would want to hurt his family because they can't reach him in person. That's why I'm taking you to the Executive Office. The security is tight".

Once they in the car and drive toward the office, Yanagi asked Shizuru to turn the Hologram on.

"It's about to get announce."

A holographic man appeared in front of the steering wheel.

"There is no movement amongst the Hime forces yet. The Executive Office will be making an important announcement at 2500 exactly. That's ninety seconds from now."

It was a long ninety seconds. It was a ninety second that she prayed would go by quicker or go on eternally.

It was time. The hologram switch to a different speaker. A handsome speaker appeared, and began speaking. "I will make the announcement….President Fujino Hideshi of the Kiyo System Government, officially surrendered the independence of the Kiyo System to the Empress to be, and High Commander of the enemy fleet, Duchess of Searrs Kingdom, Deca-Commander Her Highness Princess of the Kruger Imperial, Alyssa Searrs at 2352 today. Starting today, we are part of the The Hime Empire."

Though it was not shown on the holo, the ruckus of the press that present could be heard. "Just as I thought…" someone whispered.

"But the President wishes to leave trade with other worlds in the hands of the residents of the Kiyo System, so suggested an alternative idea. An idea to make one of the residents of the planet the Lord of the Planet."

"What! Is that possible!, Who will be the Lord?" A sudden question flew out.

"It was possible. In exchange for the code to nullify the anti-space defense grid, our conquerors agree to the terms."

"That's unfair! Who is the Lord!" the question start to burning like a wild fire.

On the holo, the speaker gave up, looked above and said, "Okay. It's as most of you expect, President Fujino Hideshi is to become the Lord for our system."

The cry that followed was undoubedly one of anger.

"Hideshi gave the invaders our only weapon so that he can become a noble. I had no idea the Hime feared our defense grid so much. We may gave them a good fight. I heard about the idea after the negotiation were over, after the defenses were nullified, and the Fujino family became nobles of the Empire. Who knows what he intended at first. He didn't discuss it with me ahead of time. I suppose a mere secretary didn't need to know. All the secretary do is to take his child to a safe place. And I thought he was a good friend."

"Oh….." and so, she finally understood the reason why Yanagi was angry. He felt as if father had betrayed him.


	2. Chapter 1 Sora Spaceport

Chapter 1 – Sora Spaceport

The ruckus hit her ears the instant she walked out of the Launch Elevator. Shizuru stood straight and looked around the terminal.

_Was it always like this?_ Shizuru recall her memories. It's the second time in the spaceport. The first time was seven years ago, when she came from Planet Kiyo, now known as Planet Kiyohime, since it became the Empire territory. But her memories from the first visit were hazy.

Today is the first time Shizuru had to dress up as a noble. The pants she wore below were normal, but the cloak she wore! Why did she have to walk around dressed like this – it made no sense. There was no collar to her cloak with the belt at her waist tied it, and then it spread all the way down to her feet. It was light purple in color. She would prefer kimono, the dress of her home planet, Planet Kiyohime. It was a typical Imperial Noble's dress. However, it was not commonplace for an imperial noble to be alone in the public spaceport; it was clearly evident from her red eyes and missing pale face that Shizuru was not a Hime.

"Hey, Shizuru Fujino!".

Shizuru thought it was her imagination. Unlike with Kiyohime, in Sora, the last name was said first, so Shizuru Fujino had to be her name. Shizuru look for the person that the voiced belong to with little expectation. If it wasn't my imagination, then I must have misheard her, or it must have been someone with the same name. but when she saw a young women monopolizing a table for four, an unexpected smile visited her face.

"Jane Harrison!". He smile gracefully toward her friend. "what are you doing at a place like this!"

"What am I doing? Baka…I'm here to see you off, of course."

"And I thought I already been descreeted enough about my departure. I wouldn't want all my fans to come crowded the spaceport". Shizuru chuckle.

"Baka, I'm not your fan. I'm your best friend, remember? Or is the princess too good to be seen of by a commoner?"

Shizuru smiled. "I said Ookini. Do you now know Oo-ki-ni means?"

"Your accent sucks you imigrant. You never did try to change your accent to the end. But, do sit.I've been waiting for you forever. Weren't you leaving at 1800? I came too early because I was afraid I'd miss you. I was really worried. I afraid you'd ignore me even if I called your name."

"What are you talking about?" Shizuru argued back peacefully. We are in Tea Club together. I wouldn't ignore you".

"Woah! There were no other tea drinker as addicted as you." Jane suddenly made a dark face after that joking comment.

"Wow!.. that noble garment looks good on you. No..I think everything look good on you" Jane had a drool on her face.

"Stop saying thing with pervert smile on your face..This is just," Shizuru flicked the cloak with her finger. "It's like a costume from historical play."

"I feel great, not ever day a commoner from surface gets to talk to a noble as equals." Jane look around, "Oh, I'm standing out, I'm standing out!"

"Stop it." Shizuru was tired of it. "I know what I look like, I don't look like the Hime." Jane ignored that comment.

"Are you going home now?"

"Ara?" Shizuru blinked. She realized that though she told her that she was leaving Sora soon, she forgot to tell her where she was going. "No, I'm going to Kruger Kingdom"

"The Capitol?"

"Ara, yes. To study in Administrative Flyer Training School." Shizuru explained.

"You're going to join the military?" her friend asked with her eyes wide open in surprise.

"Yes…."

"But..you have your territory. I can't even imagine how would you act as the military soldier. Why bother…? Furthermore, you look too fragile to be in military."

"It's my duty. You can't just be born to a noble family inherit you the title. You have to work for the Star Forces as a Flyer for atleast 10 years. An exception was made for my father because of his age, but that's not going to happen for me."

"So, being a noble's tough in its own way."

"Ara. Looks like the higher your status the greater your duty in the Empire. I've taken a liking to it. It makes a lot more sense than the other way around. And I start to get bored just learning business and administrative here in Sora. A little adventure wouldn't hurt, ne? But…. It's three years as a trainee for the military, and ten years as a flyer, a total thirteen years of military life."

"But, you're going home, right?"

"Someday. After all…it is my territory." It felt strange to call her home world her territory. "But I can't go home right now." Shizuru shook her head. "That place isn't really my home world anymore. The story of the founding of the Kiyohime Earldoom isn't a story of heroics but a criminal record. The people of Kiyohime despise my father and I."

"I can understand that." Jane said.

"Hmmm..so..who will accompanied you to the capitol?" Jane bought tea from the passing vending machine, and handed one to shizuru. "Here, although, its not as good as a hand made one, but it's on me".

"Ookini"

"You welcome. Man, it feels good to give charity to young beautiful noble."

Shizuru smiled, "There will be Hime Space Force Officer to fetch me."

"You've gotta be kidding. I hear the Hime are all really good looking." She was a little angry.

"Is that the only thing you can think? I feel sorry for the officer, who ever she is." Shizuru calmed her. I'm always concern about getting married with a handsome man.

"Really? I've only seen you with girls…never with man."

"Then, what do you think my success rate for my future married life?" "Zero"

"What!" Shizuru backed away from her. "You're underestimate me".

"Okay…are you unable to face up to reality? You're going to deny what the truth is?. You were into that kind of stuff!". Jane suddenly seemed to realize something.

"Stop it." Shizuru took it lightly since she knew she was only getting back at her for all the teases before.

"You're too kind. I'm might fall in love with you.." Jane stuck her hand out. Shizuru grabbed that hand with both of hers.

"You should've told me sooner. I could date you before I'm leaving." Shizuru smile heartwarmly

"What was you official name again?" Jane asked.

" Princess of the Count Fujino, successor of the Kiyohime Kingdom, Shizuru , I think."

"I see. Then, Princess whatever Shizuru-chan…remember my name, Jane Harisson. It's a lot easier to remember than Princess something something Shizuru" Jane said waving her hands a goodbye.

"I will". Breaking the eye contact, Shizuru turned around to look at what cause a whispered amongst people. A slight figure entered her vision. It walked toward her spreading a wave of anxiety than that of when Shizuru arrived.

Black and Red – it was the Imperial Star Forces uniform.


	3. Chapter 2 Flyer Trainee

Chapter 2 – Flyer Trainee

The law of the Empire define what a "Hime" is very clearly. Simply, Royalty, and Gentry are all "Hime". According to this definition, Shizuru is without a doubt a Hime since she is the daughter of a Count. But the word "Hime" had another meaning of the hime as a race. Though, people who are legally "Hime", usually genetically manipulate their decendents to become "Hime" so it's not usually a problem. The unfortunate exception is Shizuru.

This was not a small gap to fill. The difference between the Hime and grounders was not one of race or culture, but a biological one. Though they were not of Homo Sapiens, it is certain that the Hime are children of Earth. They did not evolve to become who they were; they are thought to have been created.

The fact that they still manipulate genes is proof of that. They manipulate the genes of almost every child born to them. 27000 genes are required to be standardized, and if there are differences in the genetic sequences of their children, they are corrected. Though it is claimed that it is only done to prevent genetic diseases and to unite the Hime as a race genetically, there are differenr ways of interpreting it.

Something like the way poems and paintings have specific requirements to them, in other words, art is better if it is createed with few criteria. Yes, there is an idea that to the Hime, their children are like an artwork for them to create, that they manipulate their children's genes out of artistic desire, rather than necessity. Though their taste in art is hardly bad. Their concept of beauty is one held common by many worlds, and they hardly ever stray from it. So the Hime were al frustratingly beautiful.

The soldier coming toward her was definitely a masterpiece of the Hime genetic art. Though the soldier wore a simple military headpiece over a wolf-like ears. The dark blue hair was long and flow behind trailing it. The snow-white pale colored face perfectly egg-shaped. Dark forest green pupils, the trademark of the Hime genes, rested in startlingly beautiful eyes, and those eyes looked straightforward at her. The shoulders drew a beautiful and elegant line. The small nose was well defined. The lips were full but slender. The deep scarlet belt showed that the soldier was a Flyer. And as for age…

It was a daunting task to try to judge the age of a Hime from its appearance. This was because they had a unique way of aging. They ages just like their ancestors until the age of fifteen. But their appearance ages only ten more years during next twenty-five. After that period, they don't grow any older until their death. The Hime called the first fifteen years "growth" and the next twenty, when their appearance stabalized, "maturization".

They never aged. But that does not mean that they're immortal. Artificially created nerves can seriously distord a person's conciousness, so they make do with the same nerves as those of their ancestor. Once their brain cells all died, even a Hime cannot avoid death.

The Hime, out of their pride, have implanted a genetic sequence that halt their breathing before they lose their mind. Though it only happen after 200 to 250 years of life. As for the Hime genders, unfortunately, all Hime races are female since the "Hime" word itself mean princess in the ancient Earth language.

The flyer approached, opening a path with sheer presence, even as Shizuru pondered about all this. The flyer's walk was elegant. The head hardly moved. She walked as if skating on ice. Well, judging from her face, she is the Ice Princess. Definitely.

Shizuru took a glace at the rank insignia on the chest of the Star Forces uniform. She had some knowledge about the rank insignia. It was an upside down isosceles triangle with slightly curved side. There was a silver wolf head, the crest of the Imperial Family as well as the crest of the Empire, within the silver center of the insignia. The back of the wolf head is lighht red, signifying that the flyer was a flyer of the piloting branch. There were no other stars or lines. It is the insignia of a Flyer Trainee. Althought dressed as a flyer. She wasn't a flyer yet, just a trainee. Graduates of the Trainee Program are supposed to train on a ship or base for six months as a Flyer Trainee.

_I know that she's here to pick me up, so I could walk towards her too_. Shizuru thought, but she couldn't move out of a strange intimidation. Eventually, the Flyer Trainee stopped right in front of her. " Are you Her Grace, Princess of the Count Fujino, successor of the Kiyohime Kingdom, Shizuru?" Shizuru hesitated after hearing her long-winded name said so quickly in a husky voice. All she could do was nod. Her right hand rose up. Shizuru felt treatened, and she backed a step away intuitively. But the index and middle finger of the hand the Flyer Trainee raised touched her headpiece. It was a Hime salute.

"I have come for you from the cruiser Volash. You shall come with me." The husky voice was clearly that of young girl, but her strong tone was perhaps more suitable for a young boy.

After saluting, the flyer trainee turned around and began walking, without making sure Shizuru was following. Shizuru felt left behind. Again. Try to start the conversation, she walk hurriedly behind the flyer trainee. _Well then, how should I start? Hmmm… let's begin with courtesy of introducing yourself._

"Ara..you know my name right?"

The said flyer trainee stop. "Are you not Her Grace, Princess of the Count Fujino, successor of the Kiyohime Kingdom, Shizuru?" Those green pupils stare back with bewilderment.

"Yes, I am that Fujino shortened Shizuru, but I don't know your name. I don't know what you Hime do, but it's discomforting to me to stay silence and ignore."

She opened her eyes out in surprise. _Was it rude to ask for someone's name in Hime society?_ Shizuru worried. Though she learned about Hime culture, she learned it from a former citizen in her business school. Her education may not have been complete. But her next reaction betrayed all of Shizuru's expectations.

The trainee showed a wide smile on her face, showing her cute tiny fang, and bared her chest. Her dark blue hair fluttered in waves, and the functional crystals at the tip of her data link connect to her headpiece shook like earrings at her wolf ears. "Just call me Natsuki!"


	4. Chapter 3 Flyer Trainee Natsuki

**Chapter 3 – Flyer Trainee of Volash Cruiser, Natsuki**

Her dark blue hair fluttered in waves, and the functional crystals at the tip of her data link connect to her headpiece shook like earrings at her wolf ears. "Just call me Natsuki!"

_She just naming herself._ Shizuru thought in awed. _She doesn't have to be so excited about it. It was as if she was declaring victory in a war._

"But" Natsuki continued. "I would also like to call you Shizuru. Is that alright?"

_Wow!, that was so blunt. Using first name basis on their first meeting. Hime society sure is weird_. Though Shizuru. When she saw the cute face Natsuki had when she asked so, the doubt within her melted like snow. _Why do for a moment there I imagined there's a tail wiggling excitingly behind her? I wonder?_ _The expression that one has when they're excited to hear a respond._

"O..of course" Shizuru nodded gracefully. "I'd be grateful if you would do so!"

"Then Shizuru" perking up her ears, Natsuki said. "Let us go."

"Yes" She followed Natsuki obediently this time.

"Shizuru" said Natsuki. "I would like to ask you something as well." "What?"

"When I saluted earlier, you backed away. What was that?"

_I thought you were going to hit me._ That was something she could never say, so Shizuru made something up on the spot. "Ara, that's a way of greeting people on my home world. I just did it out of habit."

"I see." Natsuki said trustingly. "How peculiar the greeting of your homeworld is. It seemed as if you were trying to prevent getting punched."

"All cultures seem peculiar until you get used to it." Shizuru explained guiltily.

"I see." She said. "I grew up surrounded by Hime, so I am not well aware of other cultures." "Ara…yes. You are." Now Shizuru felt even more guilty after noticing the disappointed puppy ears on Natsuki.

"But Shizuru, you are Hime as well, so I believe you should try to become accustomed to the ways of the Princess of the Stars."

Shizuru groaned silently. "Princess of the Stars, ne" – The Hime called themselves that occasionally. They seems to like that name.

"Ara..Ara..Easy to say, but it's hard to get out of the habits you grew up with."

"That may be so." Natsuki ears showed disappointed again.

_Why do I feel every emotion she feel reflected on her ears movement? I do feel like talking to her ears.. but..I can't resisted..it look cute on her.._"It's going to be tough for me from now on." Shizuru sighed trying to get some sympathy. Secretly, she felt great. Her first ancounter with a Hime went far better than she could have hoped. They were calling each other by their first names! With a girl about her own age no less. If there was a man or woman who would not pleased with that, she should check up on the possibility of neurological disorder.

The two of them stood side by side in front of the door to the 26th transportation tube. Natsuki opened the door by quickly accessing her wrist computer.

"Anooo…" Shizuru tried to strike up a conversation. "What was that cruiser called?"

"Volash"

"Ara, yes. Volash ne… which fleet does it belong to?"

"It is part of a training fleet."

"Then, there must be a lot of Flyer Trainee like yourself."

"Do you have common sense?" Natsuki said critically.

"Ara? Of course not, it was all I could do to learn the language and culture. Also the business and negotiating. Military stuff was hardly at the top of my priority."

"Aaa…Yeah." Natsuki face faltered slightly. "You shall forgive me."

_Ara? Was that supposed to be an apology?_ Shizuru asked herself.

The tube stopped after rising two floors. Shizuru followed Natsuki and got off.

"Training ships are in the Training Fleet." Natsuki explained as they walked. "But, these are for students in training to board, not for Flyer Trainee like myself. Training fleet have have one other function. Ships that are getting broken in are assigned to them. Volash was just finished three months ago, and the crew is currently practicing flying her."

"What?" Worry struck Shizuru suddenly.

"Do not be worried." Natsuki said without an expression. But Shizuru know best from the movement of her ears. It point upward showing pride. "It's just an expression. Other than myself, they are all very experienced, they're getting used to the ship as well. It will not break apart just because you came onboard."

"I wasn't worried." Shizuru lied again.

They reached at the end of the hall. Shizuru shuddered when she saw "**Imperial Star Forces Section.**" On the wall. She had come from a world where a military was something one read about in the history books. Finally she was going to get involved with that unknown thing, that relic from the past. There was a door at the end of the walkway. The door opened smoothly when the two approached. The spaceship was right beyond the door. The black color hull filled Shizuru's view.

"This is the cruiser Volash?" Shizuru asked, quite seriously.

"You can't be serious." Natsuki look at her critically.

"Remember Na-tsu-ki, I know nothing." Shizuru said seductively.

"w..well…" Natsuki face start to lit up red. "uhmm…ehemm…This is a shuttle from the Volash, intened for fifty people board. It ferries the crew when the ship can't dock, or it's used to ferry people between ships. Though the only passenger today is you."

"What an honor" _and.. is she blushing?_ she suddenly realized something troubling then – who's going to fly it then? Natsuki!

Shizuru had an idea as to what kind of people flew spaceships, and girls her age were not one of them. But she had a feeling that asking her so would not only place their newly formed friendship in danger, but Shizuru herself as well.

"Well, which one will you board?" She asked.

"Where? There's only one…"

"The copilot seat is empty. Would you like to sit there, or would you like to sit in the cabin in the back?"

"Do you have a cute stewardess?" Shizuru joked.

"We..we don't have cute stewardess." Natsuki said seriously. "but we have beautiful pilot. Well?"

_Ara..It seems she means herself when she says_ _'Beautiful pilot.' She sure is cute. Like a puppy. I'm glad I didn't ask_ – Shizuru think to herself silently.

"Ara, I take the copilot seat so I can silently look at my cute pilot's face then" again with the flirt.

That took a tons of will not to blushing wildly, but Shizuru knows better…_1-2-3..there the tomato face…haaahhhh…I can't seem to resisted teasing her..sure join the military is quite an interesting adventure for me from now on.._


	5. Chapter 4 My Cute Pilot

**Chapter 4 – My Cute Pilot**

"U…uhmmm…wha..what are you look at?" eyes looking other way, ears twitching.

"Ara? My cute pilot, of course" Shizuru said while staring at Natsuki with a dreamlike face.

"Hmmm…what does the spatial sense feel like?" Shizuru asked Natsuki from the copilot's seat.

"That's hard to say." Natsuki was pulling her data link out and connecting it to the back of her seat. "But is it true that you can sense everything around the spaceship?"

"Yes. Once I do this, I can feel what the ship feels." She showed a puzzled color in her forest green pupils, and said "Is a spatial sense really that interesting?"

"Of course it is." Shizuru relaxed. "I've never met a person with a spatial sense before." The spatial sense is a sense distinct to the Hime.

There is a spatial sensory organ on the forehead of the Hime. Their headpiece usually hides it, so to a grounder they hardly ever see picture of it, let alone the real thing. Of course, Shizuru had never seen one either. But some people heard that it is a shape of a round symbol with a hook at the center. Maybe it just some rumor, maybe it is the truth, it becomes one of the Hime mystery to the grounder. There ate roughly 100 million light emitting particles in the area of the headpiece that connect to the sensory organ. It sneds all of the information gathered by the ship's sensory grid into the navigational lobe of the brain through the spatial sensory organ. This navigational lobe is something else that only the Hime have.

When not connect to the ship, the headpiece acts as a sensor for the person's immediate surroundings, and detects everything that goes on immediately around the wearer. The headpiece not only identifies a person to her family, but is also a tool absolutely necessary to all Hime,

Shizuru realized she misunderstood something. When they first met, she thought Natsuki was about to leave alone without caring if she followed. But Natsuki could see Shizuru clearly through her spatial sense.

"Ah.." Natsuki thought for a moment, "but I can not explain it. I can not imagine what life without the spatial sense is like."

" I suppose. And are you calculating our flight path?"

"Calculate the flight path?" Natsuki looked surprised. "No. I'm not."

"Then you're just reading the values." It seems like she overestimated the navigational lobe of the Hime, she was slightly disappointed.

"What values?" Natsuki's ears perked up.

"Then how are you going to set pur flight path?"

"I just do. It's like intuition."

"Intuition!"

"Yes." She nodded. "When you throw an object, you aim it with intuition. We calculate it subconsciously and intuit the best flight path and thrust. What's so strange about it?"

"It's really strange. Don't you ever miss the flight path?" Shizuru ask suspiciously.

"It's something children do occasionally. Don't worry." The look on Natsuki face are a very excited with gleam in her eyes, not missing the confident in it.

"Ara…" She was worried after all. Shizuru look around the cockpit. _I thought that the cockpit of a spaceship would have a lot more stuff than this._

The cockpit was spherical, with just the ground level. There were just two displays in front of the two chairs, and it had neither the controls nor displays that Shizuru would have expected. Just smooth milky white walls. There was the standard for the cruiser Volash depicting an eagle behind them. It was the same thing Natsuki had on the upper part of the left arm of her uniform.

Shizuru look at a glove like object on the left arm stand of the seats. So, this is the control glove. The Hime used this, and voice command to fly their ships. The control panel on the right was merely for support. Shizuru still could not believe that it was possible to fly a ship using just your finger.

"Anooo…." Shizuru asked Natsuki as she put the control glove on. "Don't you ever try to pick something up with your left hand when you have that on?"

"I forget about my left hand while flying this ship." Natsuki responded.

"But, it's not practical for piloting a ship, just moving your fingers."

"Why?" Natsuki questioned. "Is there a better way?"

"I think there is. The intra-system vessels that us grounder use are…." Shizuru almost said "normal", but decided that she should choose her words more carefully. "….built with a control system that was based upon a different sets of ideas."

"But this is better." The Flyer Trainee pointed at her left hand.

"But.." Shizuru continued. "It has to be hard learning how to move your hand. Don't you ever forget how to do it?"

"Do you think about which muscles to move when you walk?"

"No"

"How about when you want to grab your tea? Don't you think it bothered you?"

"No. I can use my right hand then. And, I don't drink tea." Natsuki's face showed disgust.

"I see. You must have received a lot of training." Shizuru was impressed.

"I've have been doing so since I was child. It is hardly training."

"I see." Shizuru was filled with a sense of inferiority, and simultaneously felt happy about her correct judgement in deciding to not ask Natsuki if there was another pilot.

"Shall we depart?" Natsuki asked.

"Yes, go ahead. Whenever you're ready."

The screen turned bright, and technical writing began to flow across the screen.

"Can you read this quickly?" Shizuru said while staring at her screen. The green letters that flew across the screen at incredible speed seemed to be flickering to Shizuru, and she could make out none of it.

"I can't." Natsuki said quickly taking her eyes off the screen.

"Then" Shizuru point at the screen, "what is this for?"

"The A.I is checking up on the ship. If anything comes up, it'll be displayed in red."

"Then there's no need for displaying it on the screen."

"Some people think so." Natsuki agreed. "But, there is no harm in displaying it. Besides, this fits the role better."

"Ara, you're right." Eventually the writing on the screen disappeared, leaving a 'No Problem' blinking.

"See, now it is complete. You are worry too much. We are just flying over there."

"I guess so." Shizuru said carefully. "But how far is over there?"

"That is a meaningless question. They are moving as well. It is roughly 5 kilo-light"

Five kilo-light is roughly the equivalent of 5000 kilometers. From here to there- in other words from the spaceport to the cruiser was at least 5000 kilometers of vacuum. To the Hime, it may not even be a walk, but Shizuru thought it would do no harm to be just little distrustful of the universe.

"Operator." Natsuki called.

"This is the primary operating tower for the planet Sora spaceport." The face of a spaceport worker appeared on the screen.

"This is shuttle from the cruiser Volash, the military ID number of its pilot is 01-00-A775431. Requesting depresurrizationin the second military airlock."

"Understood, Volash shuttle. Deppressurizing immediately."

Though it was getting depressurizated, it was impossible to tell what was going on outside from cockpit.

"Can we see what's going on outside?" Shizuru asked.

"You wish to see it?"

"Ara, yes. I don't have spatial sense."

"I see." For second she saw pity on Natsuki's face with her ears down. "Okay."

_Ahhh…sooo cute…like lost puppy.._ Shizuru mused.

The wall, with the exception of the screen and standard became transparent. Of course, it wasn't really transparent, it processed the view of the outside and displayed it holographically. After a minute, the operator signal that the airlock was depressurized.

"Requesting that the gate to the second military airlock be opened." Natsuki request. "Understood, Volash shuttle."

This time it was quite a view. The wall slid to the sides, revealing a sea of stars.

"Requesting permission to embark."

"Permission granted for embarkation. Volash shuttle, would you like an electromagnetic launch assist?

"No, thank you. We will embark with low temperature thrust." She replied and then turn toward Shizuru. Her tiny fang slightly showed as she grin. "You would probably go dizzy if we made an electromagnetic launch."

"I probably would", Shizuru agreed. _Ahhh..she's so caring..I think I fall in love with her kindness_.._but..too bad she's a Hime..just being friend is grateful enough._

"Understood. Volash shuttle, we wish you safe journey back. Planet Sora space port primary operations tower out."

"Thanks. Volash shuttle out."

Once the operator disappeared from the screen, Natsuki made her left hand dance in the air. There was a brief tremor, and the shuttle rose. The fact that Natsuki had her eyes closed and was focusing on her spatial sense with a serious face was also fascinating. The shuttle was moving forward while moving upwards, and escaped into the sea of stars moments with a precise timing that let just miss the ceiling.

"You're incredible." Shizuru was impressed from the bottom of her heart.

"About what?" a tint of blushing appear on Natsuki's face. No one ever complement her for something so normal for Hime before. Every Hime can fly a shuttle by the age of three years old.

"You seem very used to this."

"You must be kidding." Natsuki pouted. "For Hime, even a child can pilot a ship like this."

"I suppose so." Her feeling of inferiority returned.

"But you're really young, though it is rude to ask a lady her age."

"Are you trying to say that I am like a child?" Natsuki ears perked up forward. The young Hime returned a stern look.

"Not at all!" _Really, why is everything said to this cute lady seems like a challenge to her?_Shizuru sighed in her mid, and shook her hand. "Ara, what I mean is, it's hard to judge how old you are, so I wanted to make sure…"

"I see." The young trainee was no longer have a stern look, instead it replaced with a proud one. "Your estimate is correct. I turned sixteen this year. I am quite young."

So, she's a year younger than me.

"But what is rude?" Natsuki said.

"Huh!"

"You said it was rude to ask a lady her age. Why is it rude to ask a lady her age?"

Shizuru blinked. _This child is really a dense one. Why is it rude?_

"It's because when lady get older, they don't want people to compare their age with their appearance."

"I see. Why is it so?"

"Different from the Hime, once a lady get old, their skin start to get wrinkles. Their hair turn to grey color. So, it's very hard not to annoyed an old lady by asking their age and remind them about their death."

Shizuru saw that Natsuki was still dissatisfied with her responded. Of course in her world, the word 'old' itself doesn't exist. So she tried to change the topic. "Are Flyer Trainee all as young as you?"

"Not at all." Natsuki answer proudly. She gave an impression of being extremely young. "The exam to join the trainee program is not very difficult. If you can't pass the time you're 18, you should give up trying to live a normal life in society. But not many people can register to study at the age of thirteen. I'm a special one. I have right to be proud don't I?"

"Ara, that's incredible" Shizuru can feel the childish act on Natsuki about compete with her peers so a compliment would definitely receive a promising respond.

As Shizuru expect, Natsuki blushing a cute shade of pink. "Baka…" a whisper from Natsuki caught Shizuru ears.

"We entered a region where we are free to accelerate" Natsuki moved the control glove unfazed.

"Ara…" Shizuru tried to hide her dreamy state and focus on the screen. "How long will it take?"

"This ship doesn't have gravity control, so it depends on how much acceleration you can handle."

"Well… I grew up on a planet. Supposedly the Hime's standard gravity is half that of Sora. If you can bear it, then so will I" Shizuru bragged.

"Okay. Then it won't take five minutes." The seat elongated so that they could lay back. The direction of acceleration changed frequently due to attitude control thrusters, and Shizuru start to feel dizzy. But it was only for a short period of time.

"Let's go!" the instant Natsuki said so, Shizuru was pushed back into the chair.

"Wha..what is this!" Her chest felt as if it was about to collapse from unexpected acceleration.

"It's the acceleration." Natsuki said plainly. "You are not going to say that you do not know acceleration is, are you?"

"Ara..I know! I know. But I didn't think it would be this fast…" It was hard to speak. She could feel her arteries collapsing and her limbs turning numb. She could probably bear it for a minute, but five minute is to much. _Don't tell me she's enjoying this_. Glancing at her pilot.. "She IS enjoying this!". The pilot has a smile on her face, her forest green pupils lighten up and her ears perked up and forward.

"And..Shizuru.." Natsuki asked without any problem in her speech. She seem leisurely enjoying the acceleration. "For a while now, I've notice you have been using a weird vocabulary. Like 'Ano' and 'Ara'. What's that mean?"

Shizuru on the other hand, feels like her death is near her throat. Just to keep breathing takes a lot of effort to her. And to make things worst , Natsuki choose to ask such a question at a time like this. _God..please kill me!_


	6. Author Notes: Glossary of the Stars I

Author Notes: Glossary

**Imperial Star Forces Rank**

High Commander Rank

Supreme Admiral – Her Highness The Hime Impress

Admiral – usually a Hime militan born with nobility status

Hecto-Commander – a Hime militan born with and without nobility status (also called a crusader)

Deca-Commander – a Hime militan born with and without nobility status (also called a knight), a grounder must be of nobility status to promote to this rank. Note: Alyssa was at this rank during the Planet Kiyo invasion

Flyer Aviation Rank

Sub-Deca Commander – can be promote to High Commander Rank

Forward Flyer (Senior Aviator)

Wing Flyer (Second Aviator)

Flyer Trainee – Natsuki is currently at this rank.

Since a grounder doesn't have spatial sense, in Star Forces, they are assigned to Administrative and Tactical Department. Some Hime that not interested or fail at Flyer test also can be assigned to the department.

Administrative and Tactical Rank

Head Tactician – can be promote to High Commander Rank

Chief of Staff

Line Navigator

Staff and Supply Officer

Tacticians/Staffs

**Hime Empire Noblility Rank**

Her Highness the Impress – Rule over the Hime Kingdom and it's territories

Her Highness the Queen – future ruler of the kingdom and given a territories by the Impress (The Impress daughters)

Her Grace the Duchess (given a territories by the Impress) - Alyssa is at this rank

Her/His Grace the Viceroy (having an inhabited territories with propellant productions and inter-stellar tradings)

Her/His Grace the Count/Countess – (having an inhabited or semi-inhabited territories for propellant productions - not allowed of inter-stellar tradings) – Shizuru is at this rank

Her/his Excellency the Baron/Baroness (having uninhabited territories for propellant productions and inter-stellar tradings)

Can you guess Natsuki's rank in nobility?

Can you guess what rank Alyssa's currently hold in Empire Star Forces (7 years after Kiyo invasion)?


	7. Chapter 5 Daughter of Love

**Chapter 5 – Daughter of Love**

"Anoo..kannin na. but could you turn down the acceleration down a bit!. I think I can't handle this much acceleration."

"Huh! It will take more time to reach the cruiser."

"Is there a problem with that!"

"Not really. There is plenty of extra time in ship's schedule."

"That's great. So please…" Shizuru said with her pleading eyes.

"I..I..suppose so." This time Shizuru couldn't see her reaction because she turn her head the other side. Natsuki's finger danced in the air. The gravity start to ease down. "I drop the acceleration to two standard gravity, that's usually the gravity on most planet."

"You should have warned me, that it would be harsh for grounders." Shizuru said spitefully.

"I thought you were stronger than that." Natsuki said innocently.

"Ookini. For overestimating my abilities."

"Besides, you are not a grounder, you are a Hime."

"Unfortunately, I don't feel that way. I'm completely a grounder genetically. You know that." Her genes were not going to change even if she was a Hime by law. To put it simply, a fish isn't going to fly just because you deem it a bird by law.

"Genes set aside." Natsuki said. "You should think of yourself as a Hime. An Imperial noble should not panic over rapid acceleration."

"I will take your advice to heart, my cute pilot." Shizuru replied jokingly. _Really, how dense this child could be_..Sometime she regret being a noble. Maybe she should ask to turn back immediately and ask to stay in Sora with Jane. But she couldn't ask to turn back.

"Anoo.." Shizuru asked. "What is your status?"

"Why do you ask so?" Natsuki said as if censuring her.

"Umm…" Shizuru try to think the reason. "I was just wondering why you joined the Star Forces at your age. I though maybe you wanted to get your duty done with as quickly as possible just like me. Should I not have ask?"

"That's okay. But I'd rather not answer. We are not allowed to show our personal status on our uniform until we become a Deca-Commander."

"You mean status doesn't matter in the Star Forces?"

"Yes. This is all that matter in the military." Natsuki pointed at the rank insignia on her chest.

"Ara…But I just want to know why you joined the force. Whether it was duty or wether you wanted to."

"It's partially duty." Natsuki admitted.

"I thought so.." Gentry are not forced to join the military. To them, joining the training program is not a duty but a privilege. Shizuru was now sure that Natsuki is a daughter of nobility. "I thought that might be the case."

"What?"

"Ara…" Shizuru shut her mouth. She had guessed that Natsuki was born to a high status, but she decided that she should stay quiet about how her reason for guessing so was her first impression.

"But it was not just duty." _Natsuki can be quite a naive too._

"Then why?"

" I wanted to become self reliant as soon as possible."

"Ara.." Once you became a Flyer, you would be seen as an adult regardless of age.

"But is you really have to be in such a hurry? It can be fun being a child."

Natsuki thought for a moment, but then suddenly said, "Do you have a birth secret?" a puzzling question.

"Birth secret?" Shizuru asked bewildered. "No. I don't. Though my mother died when I was young…."

"Mother? But, aren't you a daughter of a father?"

"What? Oh..I forgot. I am a daughter of my mother, a female and my father, a male through marriage." Shizuru remembered what a Hime families were like.

The Hime do not marry as they are all female and they don't believe in marriage. Those who love each other do live together in Hime society. Sometimes it does not last long enough to be called marriage, and sometimes they are together until death do us part. But that was not a law, but one form of life. It burned passionately, and died out without leaving a trace, that seemed to be stereotypical Hime love. To the Hime who are in an eternal state of youth, a marriage, based upon idea that they grow old together was something hard to accept. So it was normal that they only have one parent, and they have no idea of having two.

"I see." Natsuki looked puzzled. "What is it like to have two parent? And a male as one of your parent?"

"Ara, well..hmmm..let see" closing her eyes, Shizuru tried to remember some feeling left behind her home world. "As long as I could remember, my father rarely see me, so I'm not close with my male parent. And my mother had died when I was only 3 months"

" You shall forgive me. I asked something of no consequence." Natsuki looked away.

_Such a peculiar way to apology_. "No. It's okay. I was really small, so I don't remember it very clearly."

"But…" Natsuki said, "then you can't have a birth secret, can you?"

"Ara? Why?"

"If your genetic donors are both your household, then you cannot have birth secret."

"What do you mean?" Shizuru asked puzzled.

"I had a birth secret. I didn't know whether I was a daughter of love. That is worrisome is it not?"

"Daughter of love…?" _was it a religious concept?_ _Though Hime supposedly did not have religion._ "What is that?"

"You do not know?" Natsuki seemed surprised.

"I'm not very clear on what your family structures are like. It's well known that Hime don't marry, but I don't know how you make children in that case." Shizuru looked at Natsuki face interestingly. Natsuki seems blushing deeply.

"A..ahh…I see. Hurmmm…*cough* you know nothing of our birth then, Shizuru?" Natsuki said gently.

"Ara, yes." _Well.. this sure seems an interesting topic..this is basically the 'where do babies come from?' question. Better learn for future referrences._._fu..fu.._ "I know that you don't having se…Ara, I mean, use biological insemination."

"Yes. That one point." Natsuki avert her gaze, face red as tomato. "We..we.. re..remove both parent ovums and fertilized it in artificial womb for the genetic quality check. But sometimes a mother returned the fertilized one in her own womb for the experience. An..and, to correct your assumption, we do that..eeerm.. kind of love expression sometime, but not for …you know...reproduction"

"I see." _Ah..I'm starting to have a pervert though..me and…no..no..focus.. _She learned one secret of Hime society. There are strong rumor in Sora that Hime doesn't have wombs.

"Now do you understand why I can't pretend that I'm a Hime? Your entire race is like a birth secret, I tried my best to investigate, but most information are crazy. Stuff like making your child a clone of yourself, or to use genetic information from total stranger, or to take it from a relative. I wonder how they come up with that stuff. A single gender society doesn't mean that they…"

"We do it all." Natsuki said. "What!" Shizuru jaw dropped.

"Sometimes people make a clone of themselves, or a slightly altered clone, and sometimes people use a stranger's genetic information, and of course people can use grounder male genetic information too. Everyone's free to do what they wish."

"Really?" Shizuru was confused. "But, don't you value your family line? That sound like you completely ignore bloodlines."

"What's important in a family are the traditions, not the genetic material."

"But…"

"You make child's genes and raise them. That's how you become parent."

"Oh..I see" Shizuru agreed after pondering the question for a few moments. It was not hard to understand Hime, who used genetic manipulation on a daily basis place little value on bloodlines.

"But it is normal to mix your genetic material with those of loved one to create your child."

"That's comforting to know." Shizuru said comfortly.

"Of course that loved one can be from the same gender, other gender too, or a relative, or numerous in numbers. I hear that a grounder tends to get disturbed when they learn so." Natsuki looked at Shizuru's face curiously.

"Well..that's true." Shizuru felt disturb about mixing her genes with someone she doesn't even know, or making her own clone.

"But, in any case, 'I wish for your genetic information' is one of the most serious confession of love there is." Natsuki said rather dreamily.

"I see." It was something close to a proposal to a marriageless Hime.

"Children born from this confession of love is…"

"Ara, I know!" Shizuru had a revelation. "A daughter of love, right?".

The short period of interesting conversation seemed to be over. Shizuru had a smile on her face.

"but, why don't you asked your parent then?" Shizuru panicked after asking. "Could it be your parent…"

"Hmm?" Those forest green pupils looked her way. "Oh, my mother is alive. She'll probably be kicking for another two centuries. Is that what you're worried about?"

"Ara…" She worried too much. Was it showed on her face? " Then, why don't you asked her?"

"I asked her already. My mother would not tell me." Natsuki said. "She has this stupid idea that having a birth secret better develop a person's personality."

"You couldn't look it up?"

"You can look up your genetic information freely once you become adult. But you need your parent's permission until then."

"Ara." She finally understood it all. _So, Natsuki wished to become an adult as quickly as possible just to learn where her genes comes from. Just for that reason? So naïve._

"I'm suspicious of the reason she kept it a secret. I sometimes wonder if she created the birth secret just so that she could tease me."

"Ara, how so?"

"How can I forget, when I was a child I constantly asked her who my genetic donor was because I wanted to hear that I was a daughter of love. She was very hesitant to tell me, but she finally agreed to let me meet my genetic donor. Guess what she did?"

"She didn't bring her?"

"No, it's worse. She lied to me. She carried Clochete over and told me to greet the source of half of me!"

"Who's Clochete?"

"Our pet Siberian Husky dog!" Natsuki spit out in disgust.

Shizuru side lips quivering….

"You can laugh if you want" annoyed Natsuki glare.

"Ara, no thank you.." Shizuru take a long deep inhale. "You didn't believe her did you, Natsuki?"

"It's not impossible." Natsuki glared at Shizuru's smile.

"A..ara.." Even though Natsuki's large, high placed eyes and small pointed ears were not unlike those of a dogs. "You even do things like that?"

"Look at me! Look at my ears!" Natsuki start barking. "but..It is forbidden by law. It is wrong."

"I'm glad that I finally found a value that we hold in common."

"You are Hime as well." Natsuki state matter of factly.

"Ara, yes." Shizuru did not argue. "But didn't you realized that it was a lie?"

"I was eight! I didn't know about laws then."

"Ara, I suppose so."

"I cried all night long. Though Clochete was a cute and good dog and I love her dearly, I could not bear that she was the source for half of me."

"I understand..kind of.."

"What really irked me was that my mother was kind of pervert who would mate with a dog." Natsuki began swinging her right arm around. Shizuru look at Natsuki's left hand with a worry that cannot be placed into words. But the left hand in control glove was completely immobile, and Shizuru sign of relief.

"I remember that Clochete was just a puppy when she joined our family. I finally realized that after crying all night long."

"A happy ending then."

"It was not happy at all. I thought I was a child of a dog for a period! I worried that maybe I would grow a paw, or maybe I would grow a tail, or maybe my pupils would change colors. I never experienced a more frightening experience than when I stared at the mirror with all those doubts."

_Ah..poor Natsuki. I have the urge to hug and comfort her.._ "But you don't think so anymore right?"

"No." Natsuki nodded eagerly. "But I won't forget about those frightening days. I want to become flyer as soon as possible to get away from that mother."

"You do not like your mother?" Shizuru had to ask, though she wondered whether it was acceptable to ask someone you had just met that question.

"I do not dislike her." She wrinkled her beautiful face. "I hate to admit it, but I love her and hold her in great pride. It's just that being in her presence irritates me sometimes."

Shizuru recalled her father's, the Count of Kiyohime's face. A face she had not seen for seven years was a memory of feeling betrayed. It was hard to say that she felt love. She didn't hate him. No, there was no emotion present. Or perhaps somewhere deep inside, she was hesitant to attach an emotion to her father.

"Every family has its own story." Shizuru said. "But anyways, you've been speaking in the past tense, did she tell you?"

"Yes." Her mood turned around, and she said happily, "It was someone I knew well, and a female I admired. I was a daughter of love."

_I'm glad._ Shizuru thought so from the bottom of her heart.


	8. Chapter 6 The Cruiser Volash

**Chapter 6 – The Cruiser Volash**

"Shizuru, look below." Natsuki said suddenly.

It has been a while since the few seconds of zero gravity and attitude control. Shizuru twisted her neck over the seat and looked at the floor. An artificial object floated amongst the warm stars.

"Is that the Cruiser Volash?" Shizuru asked.

"Yes. It is slightly larger than this shuttle, is it not?" Natsuki said sarcastically.

"Yes." Shizuru replied, but to tell the truth she had a hard time visualizing it. It looked gigantic one second, and the next it looked even smaller than the shuttle, as impossible as it may be. The cruiser Volash increase in size as Shizuru stared at it. Eventually, they passed the cruiser. She could see the gigantic tower approaching slowly.

"Wow, it's incredible." Shizuru commented.

"You just realized?" Natsuki said mockingly.

"I couldn't tell from far away. You could tell because you have the spatial sense." Shizuru notice Natsuki's expression at that point and laughed gently.

"Could you please stop staring at me full of pity? I never minded not having a spatial sense before, and I plan on continuing to live without it." _And I can resist your cuteness if you're going to continued looking at me like that. I might pounce on you._

"Oh, yeah." Natsuki look away quickly. "I shall specially give you an opportunity to observe the ship carefully."

"That would be great."

Eventually they passed by the cruiser insignia. It was based on the concepts as the rank insignia, but the color of the crest is black and dark blue.

"Volash is one of the Empire's newest ship." Natsuki explained. "It is small compared to ship-of-the-line and transports. The flagship that invade your home world should have been larger. But, there are no ships with as much firepower in all of the empire, and probably all of humankind as well."

"Probably." She responded sincerely. The shuttle turn around and circled around the cruiser a few more times. "Have you had enough?" Natsuki asked.

"Yes, plenty."

Natsuki moved the fingers on her left hand, and the face of female flyer appeared in the middle of the starry sky. "This is shuttle one. Pilot's Military ID number is 01-00-A775431. Mission number 00521-887. Requesting permission to board."

"Understood." The flyer replied. "Prepared for us to take control. Stop fooling out there pilot. Is you notice something wrong with the ship's outer hull?"

"I wished to have Her Grace the successor to the Count of Kiyohime see the difference between this ship and the cruiser." Natsuki responded looking at Shizuru's face.

"What do you mean? Oh well, it doesn't matter. Establish a data link with us."

"Understood." Natsuki moved her finger, and said to Shizuru with disappointed face "I really don't want to rely on the A.I, but it's a military regulation."

"Confirmed on this side. Requesting end transmission."

"Transmission complete." The flyer disappeared from the screen, and instead various numbers, letter, and graphs began flowing across it.

"Now there's nothing for me to do." Natsuki said dissatisfied.

"Thank you." Shizuru thanked her.

"It was my duty."

"Speaking of duty…." Shizuru asked. "What do you do when you don't need to fly a shuttle? Aren't you bored?"

"What?" Natsuki spoke. "Trainees are here to learn."

"I know that but maybe you have some time for a d-da…?"

"We do whatever a Piloting Flyer does. Of course they're simple jobs that trainees could do, but I am rather busy. Huh? What?"

"Oh..really." _There goes my chance of asking her for a date around the cruiser._

"You will be busy too once you become a trainee."

"But I'm in the Administrative Sector."

"I heard people in the Administrative Sector are busy too. They have full days doing inventory of food and equipment."

"What a wonderful job." _Of course that was a lied._

A bleep sound emerged. "Pilot. Docking and pressurization complete. Please stay as you are." The flyer instructed.

"Understood."

The door opened to the left behind them. The automaton laid a red carpet, and six flyers appeared from behind it. The female flyer leading them had a single headpiece covering her dark blue hair. The single wing, curved back along the hair was the sign of a ship captain. At her waist, she wear a belt that actually signified that she is a captain, and hung a command rod.

"Her Grace the successor to the Count of Kiyohime, you may board our ship."

"Okay." Shizuru took her seatbelt off and stood up.

"You're coming too right?" Natsuki shook her head. "What would my going do?"

"Oh" Shizuru was disappointed. "Can I meet you later?"

"The living space is limited, so we will probably meet."

It was not the answer Shizuru wanted, but she would have to be satisfied with it. "Then, thank you for bring me all the way here."

"It was fun for me as well."

"I'm glad."

Out of the six flyer who lined up for the shuttle, the four on the right side had red rank insignia, signifying their designation to the Piloting Sector. The captain stood in front of the four, to the left was the green strip of the Engineering Sector, and the far left was the white of the Administrative Sector.

Straighten her back Shizuru start to walk toward the captain gracefully. The crewmember that stood slightly apart blew the whistle. At the signal, the six flyers all salute.

"We are honor by your presence, Your Grace." The captain said. Her eyes shines with the color of the same as Natsuki's. "I am the Captain of the cruiser Volash, Hecto-commander Kuga Saeko."

_Ara, so it is normal for the Hime to introduce themselves the first time they meet someone._

Shizuru bowed, "I am Princess of the Count Fujino, successor to the Kiyohime Kingdom, Shizuru. I thank you for taking me to the capitol, captain."

"Leave it to us. I would also like to introduce my subordinates if you would allow." The Hecto-commander motioned towards her five subordinates.

Shizuru thought that the Hime lacked individuality in exchange for their beauty because the Hecto-commander looked somewhat like Natsuki, minus the wolf-ears, but that was not the case. The other flyers looked very distinct from each other while all being beautiful. They were all Hime, and looked to be in their mid-twenties, in other words their age was undeterminate.

"We will depart immediately." Hecto-commander Kuga said after the introduction were over. "We would be even more honored if you would come to the bridge with us."

"I'd be glad to." Shizuru answer, and then glanced back at the shuttle behind her. Natsuki still had not come out.

"We'll have a crewmen bring your luggage to your room later." Saeko said, misunderstanding why she looked back.

"Y-Yes, thank you."

"Then please come this way." Saeko motioned for her to follow.

Hecto-commander Kuga Saeko would be considered a stunningly beautiful woman on Sora. Though her forest green eyes and a tiny fang were peculiar, they enchanced her attractiveness without taking away from them at all. It's not that Shizuru wasn't used to women, in fact she has plenty of experience with them. But she was not used to beautiful older women, especially if she was the head of warship. It seemed that the spot next to the captain was implied to be hers, so she walked shoulder to shoulder with the captain. It was discomforting. What was even more discomforting was that the five high ranked flyers followed them like vassals. Some things never change. When she was in Sora, her fans would follow her every where, behind her, like a vassals.

"Please, this way." Hecto-commander Kuga offered a seat temporarily placed there.

"Ookini, captain." Shizuru replied, and sat down. Once the captain sat down, the flyer did as well. The four high ranking flyer entered the bridge as well and went to their respective stations.

"Show the display of the outside." The walls turn into the starry sky with the captain's order. Since all the flyers, including the captain, had datalinks, this was probably for Shizuru who did not have spatial sense.

"Prepare to depart" The Hecto-commander's voice rang through the bridge.

"No problem with all system." Line Navigator report. "No problem with ship environment." Chief of staff. "Ready to operate ship." Forward Flyer put the control glove on.

"Good. Accelerate at six standard gravity, head toward the Sora gate."

"Coming about to attitude 17-66-05." Wing Flyer replied said.

"Understood." Captain replied shortly.

Thanks to the artificial gravity, she didn't feel any of the vibration due to attitude control. But the stars in the sky shook violently, showing that the giant ship had start to move.

"Raise anchor!"

The cruiser vibrated gently with the captain's order. Water flowed into the propellant reactors. The anti-matter propellant are shot into the water. They meet and devour each other, leaving only energy. The reaction of it moving the giant ship.

"Are you bored?" Hecto-commander Kuga said to her consideredly.

"Not at all." Shizuru said very honestly. "I have never seen any of this before, it's all very interesting."

"I see. Well, I hope you'll enjoy your journey, Your Grace."

Shizuru realized that this Hecto-commander is a very kind woman after continuing the uncomfortable conversation. There was some barrier, she never stop acting courteous to her, and Shizuru did not have the courteous to speak disrespectfully to her. But, Shizuru understood that Hecto-commander Kuga honestly tried her best. Sometimes she felt as if she was being treat like a child, but she didn't mind that. Shizuru did lack in experience.

"Three minute until we pass Sora gate.." Eventually the Line Navigator reported.

"Activate of space-time bubble." She ordered.

"Activation of space-time bubble confirmed." The Sora's gate could be seen right in front of them. It was the second state of white hole (Yuanon). The Hime called the first state of the white hole as 'a closed gate' and they called the second state of the white hole, where it become a bright sphere 'an open gate' or simply 'the gate'.

The secret to faster-than-light travel in planar space is the gate and the space-time bubble. The inter-stellar ships of the Hime cross the planar space by using a space-time bubble.

"One minute until we pass the gate."

"Begin countdown thirty seconds before we pass."

"Understood."

"…..5, 4, 3, 2, 1, passing."

The scenery outside changed radically. There were no brilliant light, or a starry sky, all that remained was a blue sky.

"Confirm position." The captain ordered, and turned toward Shizuru. "Do you know that we are unaware of our current position?"

"What do you mean?"

"When you move into planar space from a normal space," Hecto-commander Kuga began a basic lecture on the theory of planar space travel. "and vice versa, we are only able to tell our probable position. Are you aware of the concept of probability?"

"Is it euphemism for made up?" Shizuru replied slightly proud of herself.

"More or less." The captain nodded. "The inside and outside of a gate, normal space and planar space, are each respectively connected. But we don't know the exact locations. The gate usually exists in an incomplete spiral in planar space, but we don't know which part that curve we will appear in."

"Position confirm." The Line Navigator reported at the moment. "It's 11-15-01 from the right curve." A project of planar space appeared on the floor. There was a blue dot within the orange map of the gate. It was the current position of cruiser Volash.

"Go to fully mobile state after 200 degree turn." The captain ordered. "It is the Navigator's job to pilot the ship from here on out." The Captain whispered, and ordered the Line Navigator "Destination, Aswad Gate, calculate flight path." Almost instantly, a blue line appeared near the distorted spiral.

Line Navigator glance at the captain and report "Calculated."

"Understood" Hecto-commander Kuga nodded. "I'll leave the rest up to you. Put us on the flight path."

"Understood Captain. I'll take care of it."

The blue dot showing their current position began move towards open space from its place in the distorted spiral. "We are on the flight path, captain." Line Navigator reported.

"Good. Relieve all status. Switch to first shift." The Hecto-commander disconnected her data link while announcing so. Flyer on the bridge stood up and salute. Only three remained sitting.

The captain stood to return the salute of all the flyers who left the bridge. Shizuru jittered around on her chair all the while, not knowing what she should do.

"You Grace." The captain said after sitting down again. "The rest of the voyage is quiet boring even if it is your first time here. The flyers on duty is just sit around in dark mood, checking to make sure that there are no problem with the equipment they are in charge of. I'll have someone take you to your room."

"Captain," Shizuru said determined "I'd like to speak with you some more if it's alright with you."

"My pleasure, Your Grace. I will be bored as well until my shift is over. But concerning what?"

"Are you aware of how the Count of Kiyohime Kingdom family come to power?"

"Yes, the conquering of your system is new."

Apparently the words like 'conquer' or 'invade' had no negative connotation to her. They didn't seem to hold any negative connotation to all Hime.

"Then as you can understand, I don't know how Hime nobility should act."

"Is that so?" she said unexpectedly. "So, you don't know how you should interact with us?"

"That's it." Shizuru nodded. "I do think it is inappropriate to ask a question to someone I just met…"

"Not at all." The captain said jovially. "Gentry rarely have the opportunity to tell a noble how to act."

"and…am I acting strangely. Should a lord be bearing himself arrogantly?"

"Sometimes they are forgiven for being acting arrogantly." The Hecto-commander said. "But they never liked for doing so. Does that help?"

"Great. Then I haven't been acting too peculiarly.?"

"No…" Hecto-commander crossed her arms. "You don't bear yourself strongly enough."

"Really?. I know which titles are above which, but I couldn't find any information on how they related to social status in any books. It seems common in the Empire for noble to work under a gentry."

"Yes, it is quite normal."

"Then, my social status is equal to none, right?"

"The relation of two people who are not in the same group is decided through title status." Hecto-commander explained. " I am a Hecto-commander, so I am considered a first class Baroness. It is a rather high status for a gentry, but it is far below that of a successor to a Count."

"Is that not confusing. Would leadership not be difficult if your subordinates were higher ranking than yourself?"

The Hecto-commander laughed heartily. "That is when you are affiliated to a different groups. Within the military, this is all that matters." She pointed to the rank insignia on her chest. It shows an Empire Insignia with a four star emblem on it. That action of hers reminded her of Natsuki. It may be a habit common throughout the Star Forces Flyers.

"If Your Grace were to be assigned to me as an Administrative Sector, I'd put you to work without hesitation. Please don't expect to be treated the way you are now at such a time."

"Yes, I had heard that…" Shizuru was still not quite convinced. "But don't you find yourself thinking of things outside of the military?"

"Let's see." The captain thought. "In the past, perhaps. But our status based society and military have had a long history. That is impossible these days. A person unable to differentiate between their social status and military status, is a socially worthless person no matter how high her place is."

"It's quite complicated." Shizuru sighed.

"Really? I have lived in this society since birth, so it is second nature to me." Her expression did not change. Making a Hime emotional seemed to be task of great difficulty.

"Yes. Of course." It did help but she didn't feel like completely agreeing with it.

"Then, let me have someone take you to your room. I'll have the trainee that greeted you at the spaceport take you." The captain brought her wrist computer to her face.

"Ara, her…" Of course she meant Natsuki. "She is a noble too, right?"

Hecto-commander blinked in surprise. "No."

"Ara? That's strange. Her attitude was quite different from the Captain's."

"You do not know her!" her right eyebrow rose in surprise.

"No..Anoo…" She had a bad feeling in the back of her mind. "Should I know her?"

"No. Considering You Grace's peculiar raising, you can't be blame for it." The Captain smiled, and communicated through her wrist computer "Flyer Trainee Kruger, come to the bridge immediately."

"Kruger!" It was the same title name as the High Commander of the fleet that invaded the Kiyo System. She was a royalty, so that means that it was the name of Royalty. "Which Kruger?"

"The Kruger Kingdom"

"Then…"

"Yes." A slightly sinister smile appeared. "Flyer Trainee Kruger is the grand daughter of Her Majesty the Empress Inoue Kruger."


	9. Chapter 7 Princess of the Empire

**Chapter 7 – Princess of the Empire**

Though the empire placed some trust into the loyalty of its nobles and gentry, and the unity of the Hime as a family, they did not have illusions that it was a very deep kept the unity of the empire was its sheer military might, and the center of that unity, The Empress, must hold that power. That is a basic concept behind the construction of the Empire.

Therefore someone that inherits the title of the Empress must have experience in the military, and be capable military leader. But if someone were to become Empress automatically, for having military power, a constant struggle for power and internal strife would occur. Therefore, a method that considered various aspects of the candidates for the title of Empress was used in The Empire. Three families in the Kruger clan form the royalty in the Empire. Each were the siblings or decendents of the founding Empress, and share the title of Princess/Queen of the Kruger Imperial.

They are…

**The Searrs Kingdom** – The Searrs family currently ruled by the Duchess

**The Kruger Kingdom** – The Kruger family currently ruled by the Empress

**The Zhang Kingdom** – The Zhang family currently ruled by the Duchess

And thus the capitol is chosen according to the family in reign. People born to these families have the duty of joining the military. They cannot join the sector that are usually behind the lines like the Medical sector or the Administrative Sector, but must become a Flyer of the Piloting Sector.

Royalty was given one special privilege concerning their role in the military. They are automatically admitted to a military university after two years of passing the training period, regardless of their abilities. Once they become Wing Flyer, they are promoted to the rank of Forward Flyer after a year, and are allowed into the Garderobe Star Forces University, the most difficult military university of them all. After half a year education, they receive the rank of Deca-commander and wear the insignia of a commander.

Though it is a privilege of the royal families, it could also be seen as forcing responsibilities onto them beyond what their experience and abilities can handle. Once they pass the rank of deca-commander, royalty does not have any more privilege. Once the royalty reach the rank of High commander of the Imperial Star Forces, it will also means that she will become the next Empress, in other words they become the Imperial Crown Princess. Though in peacetime, this position controls but a few commanders, it is rank that the Empress has always held. Once the next royalty reaches her rank, the former Empress will retires and give the throne to her.

Most of the time, the long lived Hime still have a good centuries of life after they leave the throne. So, the former Empress and Queens who failed to become Empress form the Royal Council. This Royal Council deals with problems of promotions and entrance interview of Flyer of royal family.

While wait for the Flyer Trainee to appear, Shizuru looked her up on her wrist computer. She discovered that Her Highness the Princess of the Kruger Imperial, Flyer Trainee Natsuki Kruger is the first princess born to the Queen of the Kruger family, Rei Kruger. Therefore, she is the direct decendent to the current Her Majesty the Empress. Unlike the High Commander that invaded her home world, Her Highness the Duchess of Searrs, Princess of the Kruger Imperial, Deca-commander Alyssa Searrs, who's born to the Searrs family of the Kruger Clan. Natsuki is the pure blood Kruger of all.

Shizuru felt extremely uncomfortable, even as she walked behind her. The feeling of embarrassment that had haunted her the previous six years had reached a peak. It wasn't that she expect to meet royalty. Shizuru was, despite all, a noble so she may have enough status to come to know royalty. But she expected such encounter to occur during social occasions like banquets or dances after formal introductions has been given. This was quite an ambush. Now she was near someone that was incredibly close to the ruler of 900 billion subjects and citizens. How should I make it up? Shizuru glance around nervously.

"What is it, Shizuru?" Natsuki said next to the picture of the dandelion flying. "You been silent the entire time, and why are you walking behind me?"

"Well, Your Highness the Imperial Princess…" Shizuru said nervously. Instantly, Natsuki stopped walking, and she turned around. Goosebumps came to her when she saw Natsuki's expression.

Natsuki had glare at her several times on the shuttle, but she now realized that those were half joking, something like a dog barking playfully. So this is what she looks like when she's really angry…

The beautifully symmetric face was covered with an unmistakable sign of anger, and the green flame burned within those forest green pupils. But what flowed from her lips was something as cold as the vacuum.

"I am not an Imperial Princess, just a Princess. The Empress is my grand mother, and my mother is merely a Queen."

"Aara..k..kannin..I mean..My apologies Your Highness the Princess." Though she lowered her head in apology, Shizuru though to herself that she shouldn't be getting so angry just because she made a mistake on her title.

Natsuki turn away and began walking away quickly. Shizuru chased after her.

Natsuki continued talking. "If you wish to stress my relation to Her Majesty the Empress, you should call me the Grand Daughter of the Empress, but it's not an official title, and it's hardly ever used. Actually I've just rediscovered the fact that I am the grand daughter of the Empress, and am feeling a sense of surprise. Besides, it doesn't sound good, Her Highness the Grand Daughter of the Empress."

"A-Ara..I mean, Yes Your Highness." Shizuru agreed nervously.

"Also, I was given the Wulfaz territory and title of Duchess at birth from the Empress, with my mother as a consignatory. So, sometimes I am called Her Highness the Duchess of the Wulfaz Kingdom. But these days, I'm usually called Flyer Trainee Kruger for some reason." Natsuki said in one breath.

Shizuru couldn't find a chance to butt in, and just moved her feet quickly in silence. "But I remember telling you, to just call me Natsuki."

_A-ara..now I know why she's so angry with me._ Shizuru immediately change the tone of her voice. "Ara, kanin na. so your friend call you Natsuki."

"Not really." Natsuki's tone still cold. "The only one who called me without title are my mother, my grand mother and my relatives from the royal families. Though, some of my cousin like to called me by some weird nicknames. My friend called me either Her Majesty the Princess, or just Her Majesty. The title of Her Majesty Natsuki is quite popular amongst my relatives."

"Then why…" Her feet stopped. The successor to the Count of Kiyohime had apparently gotten a hold of an incredible privilege, and was about to lose it. "did you tell me to call you Natsuki…I had just met you."

"It was the first time someone asked for my name." Natsuki stopped too, but she still looked forward. A tinge of pink shade hue evident on her cheek. "Apparently, the grand daughter of the Empress is quite the celebrity, everyone know my face and name. even if I don't introduce myself, they called me 'Her Majesty the Princess'. Even to someone I know well, I'm 'Her Majesty'. It had been so ever since I was born, so I never bother to think about it. But, somehow, when you asked my name, it felt…somehow this is the opportunity for me to get close to someone to called me by my first name. Also, I'm envious of the other trainees at the school used to call their friend by their first name except for me. "

"Kanin na, I mean, my apology.. I…" Shizuru was stunned by the fact. She had slapped away the hand of friendship Natsuki's offered, and instead hurt her deeply.

"There's no need to apologize." Natsuki said, still cold. "You have done nothing wrong. Feel free to call Her Majesty the Princess or Her Highness the Duchess of the Wulfaz or anything else you wish Your Grace the Successor to the Count of Kiyohime."

"..No. I'd like to just call you Natsuki…"

"Don't misunderstand me. I don't want you to call me 'Natsuki' or anything."

"Please, I want to just call you Natsuki."

Natsuki finally turned around and stared at Shizuru. "There's no need to force yourself, Your Grace."

"I'm not, so…"

"If you like, I woudn't mind if you called me Her Majesty the Grand Daughter of the Empress."

"Mou... Nat-chan. What do I have to do for you to forgive me?" Shizuru put her hand to her face.

Natsuki stared at Shizuru silently for a moment. But eventually her mouth began to twitch, and the feared princess began to laughing, as if she could hold herself back no more. Shizuru felt relief, since as if they were on good term again.

"You didn't realize I was a Kruger?" Natsuki asked after she stopped laughing.

"Ara, not at all." Shizuru wipe a lone tear that manage to escape her eyes.

"Even after you saw these ears?" Natsuki point to her wolfish ears. "Alyssa Searrs...The High Commander Kruger, who invaded the Kiyo System had the same ears. This is the 'ears of the Kruger'. It is one of the family markings."

"I see. But it hard to determine it. I'm not a Hime by birth, so I just don't notice family traits."

"Oh…well, my ears are rather small for a Kruger." From her voice, it seemed she felt inferior because of it.

"Ara, really?."

"Yup, really."

"I find it cute on you."

"Really?" a tinge of pink shade coloring her cheek.

"Yes… my cute princess." Smile fondly

"Baka…" a pout on face.

...to be continue...

Ohayou gozaimas,

Author note: Do check for next glossary if your confuse about the title and families. Next glossary will be after Chapter 8. Thank you for you support.

For now...

Since Natsuki born into the Kruger family, its impossible for her to inherit the title of 'Duchess of the Kruger Kingdom' (because the Kruger Kingdom is rule by the Empress). So the Empress gave Natsuki a territories to rule (Wulfaz) and the title of Duchess. That's why Natsuki holding a title the 'Duchess of the Wulfaz Kingdom'.

As for Natsuki's mother, Rei Kruger. She is the Queen of the Kruger family (daughter of the current Empress). She also given a territories and title by the Empress (the same case as Natsuki). Want to know more? next chapter...

Also, we have info in this chapter that Alyssa is born to another family under the same Kruger Clan: The Searrs family, thus she inherit the title of Duchess of Searrs... so, as for Alyssa : Her Highness the Duchess of the Searrs Kingdom.

hmm..about Hecto-Commander Kuga Saeko..she just another gentry from one of the Hime territories also a Captain of the Volash cruiser. The connection between her and Natsuki...I think they're just the captain and subordinate...

after all..this story is AU universe..expect the differences...enjoy the next chapter..maybe tomorrow, since I feel bored flirting with the nurse.

ja...again, Arigatou Gozaimas..


	10. Chapter 8 My Lovely Princess

**Chapter 8 – My lovely Princess**

The fact that 'the ears of the Kruger' is the most famous family trait goes without saying. But Shizuru had forgotten the existence of family trait until just they arrived before a door with a picture of a large sunflower basking in the radiance of a star.

"These are your quarters." Natsuki said while pointing at the door.

"It's been bothering me for a while, but…" Shizuru examined the door "Just what are these pictures? What kind of meaning is behind them?"

"They're just decorations. They're meaningless." Natsuki said. "There has to be decoration on a warship too, don't you think so?"

"But they throw me off." Shizuru muttered. "if they're decoration, shouldn't they reflect space in some way?"

"How?" green eyes focus on to enquiry.

"Stars or galaxies or…" Shizuru putting her finger in a thinking pose.

"Who would draw such a boring thing?" Natsuki huffing.

"I thought you people loved space." Shizuru was surprised.

"We loved it, because its our home. But stars are too commonplace to be the subject of a painting. You can look at the real thing if you wanted to see one."

"Ara, I see…" Shizuru calmly smiling. "Since the stars is your home, have you seen the real sunflower?"

"That's prejudice, Shizuru. Of course I've seen a real sunflower. There are green house on Kruger Kingdom, and there is a garden in my house." pouting cutely.

"Ara." Shizuru turned around and pointed at the wall behind her. "Then what about a scenery like this?"

It was a great field of grass. Grass tall enough to reach a person waist grew densely, and elephants and horses were eating them. Large trees popped out of them occasionally, and cherry blossom petals were floating in the blue sky.

"I haven't seen anything like this." Natsuki answered honestly.

"Then, what does it look like to you?"

"Why are you asking me that?" Natsuki look displeased.

"Well, I'm interested as to what a Hime feels when looking at the surface nature."

"Like I keep saying, you're…."

"Ara..ara..I'm a Hime too." Shizuru interrupt. "But I'm not a Hime by birth so I'm interest what a Hime think when they saw the planet surface."

"Oh." Natsuki seemed to understand. "it looks like something out of a dream."

"Like some place that doesn't exist?"

"No." Natsuki shook her head. "I know that it exists somewhere. I know that we came from a planet just like that. Its remind me of a myth."

"The homeland you left?"

"Yes, Space is our home now. We are people of space, and feel pride in it."

"So, have you ever though on going to the surface?" Shizuru questioned. Interest pique her.

"Hmm.. I think maybe some day. I have a territories, so, of course I have to develop it."

"Ara..the Kingdom of Wulfaz? Can you tell me about your territory? What kind of place is the territory of Wulfaz? Since it's call the 'wolves kingdom' in the archaic Earth language (Wulfaz :In ancient Germany, means wolf), I bet there many wolfs and cubs there. Maybe a fields just like the picture too, right?"

"No." Natsuki reluctantly responded to her. "There are no animal at all. Just a plants and microbes on the planet. The Imperial terraformed the planet just a few years ago."

"Then, why is it called the wolves kingdom?"

"A captain who loves wolf discovered the world, so she just named it on a whim."

"I see. What kind of place is it?"

"It's not worth discussing. There one yellow star and seven planets orbit it. The second planet are habitable. That's why I'm thinking about fiddling with it once I'm relieve of my duties as royalty. I want to grow plants and flowers. Of course raising animals too."

"That's wonderful."

"I suppose." Natsuki eyebrow raise showing unconvince.

"Ara, for me it's wonderful. You're such a wonderful person to appreciate the beauty of ground world. If I can, I'd like to take you to my home world and make you live there for a few years. So you can have ideas on how to design the nature for your planet."

"Oh, I may take you up on that offer once my duty as royalty over." Natsuki said slightly happy.

"Yes, that would be great." Shizuru felt grief even as she answer.

_You've forgotten. Even then, you'll only have grown ten years; you'll still be young. But by then, I'll either be an old woman or dead..._

"Speaking of, can you let me in now? I don't know how to open the door."

"You're the one that brought up the sunflowers." Natsuki said.

"But wasn't it interesting?"

"Yes. It was the first time I looked at the picture so intently." This first princess of the Kruger family seemed to have an honest personality deep inside.

"Then please, Natsuki."

"Use your wrist computer. The electromagnatic wave signature has already been registered."

"Ara, really." She touched the red stone on the side of the display area of her wrist computer. The door open.

Shizuru look around the room from the door. It wasn't very large. The length of the room was just enough for the bed. Its width was about twice that. There was a table and chair in the space not occupied by the bed. A tea maker station by the wall next to the table. There was an even smaller door in the back. But what really caught Shizuru attention was the Fujino family standard hanging on the wall over the bed. A red serpent was pictured over the green background.

"Your luggage should be in there." Natsuki pointed at the closet on the opposite side of the bed. "Use that door if you care for you hygiene."

Shizuru shift her gaze to the flag hanging on the wall. "Where did you get that?"

"Oh, we made that on ship." Natsuki said casually.

"For me?"

"Who else would it benefits?"

_It doesn't benefit me either…._

Shizuru just felt the bed to see how comfortable it was. It was soft enough to promise a good night's sleep. Shizuru sat down on the bed and asked. "Well, what should I do?"

"Okay." Natsuki checked on the schedule on her wrist computer. "Dinner will be in another two hours. You will probably be invited to the Captain's table. I'll probably come and get you when it's time, so wait patiently."

"Ara? If you tell me the way over the intercome, I'll get there myself. I'm sure you have better things to do."

"That's not a good idea." Natsuki said seriously. "I've been ordered to show you around tomorrow. It's best if you don't wander around alone until then. There have been many incident where new recruits and civillian had almost died in an abandoned storage closet because they firmly believed that they knew how to read a ship diagram since the formation of the Star Forces."

"How did you do?" Shizuru asked teasingly.

"It's rude to ask questions that you know will touch upon old scars." The Flyer Trainee answered blushingly.

"Look like you had some fun memories." Shizuru laugh.

"Quiet, Shizuru." Natsuki pinned Shizuru to her bed straddling her.

Minutes pass, both company seem to silently gazing at each other eyes. Shizuru was fascinated by the beauty of the green forest orbs and slowly shift her gaze toward the luscious lips that parting slightly. Her heart beating wildly inside her chest. _How about I teach you how we grounder produce a child right now, Natsuki? No..no…fight the urge.._

Natsuki on the other hand, closing the distance slowly.

_E-Eh?..A-ara..don't tell me, she want to..ki..ki..Kami-sama..._Shizuru closing her eyes readying herself.._  
_

"Hmm...doesn't seem you have fever. I wonder why your face red?"

"Ara?" Shizuru opening her eyes realizing that Natsuki testing her temperature by touching their forehead together.

"Anything else you need?" Natsuki immediately standing up. She had a grin on her face.

"A-ara. No. O-Ookini. I have something I can kill time with, so I'll wait obediently." Shizuru averting her eyes.

"Then, see you in two hours."

"Yes. In two hours." Shizuru answer obediently like a child would.

Natsuki turned around. The door closed behind her back. _What was that? Mou..Nat-chan, my heart beating like it would leap out of my chest!_

"Ara-ara..I feel so hot." Shizuru decided to take a cold shower.

"I'll see you soon, my lovely princess." She whispered silently into the room caressing her lips.


	11. Chapter 9 Emergency

**Chapter 9 – Emergency Situation**

Five days after cruiser Volash left the Sora System.

"Captain". Chief of Staff voice sounded by her ear.

The captain of the cruiser Volash, Hecto-commander Kuga Saeko opened her eyes immediately and glanced by her pillow. There was a hologram of the currently on-duty second in command there.

"What?"

"Please come to the bridge immediately." The pale face of Chief of Staff had a scary look on it that was rarely seen on her. "We have discovered several unidentified space-time bubbles."

"I'll be right there." Hecto-commander Kuga jumped up right after she waved the communicator off. She put her black uniform on with practiced motion, combed her hair and put a single winged headpiece on. She picked up her bel and command rod, and headed toward the bridge.

She put her belt on quickly in the transport tube to the bridge, and hung her command rod on. By the time she arrive at the bridge, she looked the way a proper captain sould.

"Chief of Staff, report." Captain shouted as she came on the bridge.

"Direction, 78 degrees in front of us, distance 12.33 kilo-light. Bearing 15 degrees. They're headed toward the Aswad System." The Chief of Staff motioned to give the captain's seat to her once she report everything. But captain made no motion to sit down.

"Aswad is our next destination."

"Yes, captain"

"We should arrive before them."

"how many ship?"

"We have detect a four divisions of fleet according to the space-time bubble size."

The Hecto-commander look at the planar space diagram on the floor. The blue dot representing the location of the cruiser was at the center. Roughly 60 degrees from the direction they were moving in, a swarm of space-time bubble with black dot telling them it is either the enemy or the ally. She wished to ask the unidentified swarm of space-time bubble what they are doing, but the law of physics in planar space prohibited that. Communication wave cannot be sent through planar space not more than 2 light. The only practical method of communication between space-time bubble in planar space is through the usage of space-time probe. But, this inter-bubble communication is painfully slow, and completely useless beyond certain distances.

"Can you tell which gate they come from?" Hecto-commander ask.

"Wing Flyer is calculating that right now." Chief of Staff answered.

The inexperience female wing flyer reported eventually. "I've narrowed it down to 40, but I can't narrow it down any further."

"Are any of those gates in used?" The captain asked.

"No, they're all closed gate, and not in use." The wing flyer shook her head.

"Are there any gate with an inhabited planet within a 20 kilo-light?"

The wing flyer scanned through the old reference material with the A.I.

"No."

"Within 50 kilo-light?" The captain increase the span.

"There is one!" the wing flyer' forehead flushed red from excitement.

"Where?"

"Planet Artai II of the Artai System is 3 kilo-light from the Ursa193 Gate. Its affiliation is….with the United Mankind."

"It seems." The Chief of Staff walked over and whispered. "like it's one of our competitors."

When the founding Empress Kruger declared the formation of the Hime Empire, the total population of the Hime was 27003. According to the estimates by the Hime population studies expert, this is rather accurate figure. The total population of humankind at the time was iver 100 billion. Thus, they decided to try to rule more than 100 billion people with less than even 30,000 Hime. The Hime, they are arrogant and reckless, that was their reputation on numerous worlds. It spread after the first invasion of the Hime. But unfortunately, the Hime were not the first ones to step into planar space. In one of the system, the Schwartz System out of coincidence, discovered a method of utilizing planar space. The people of Schwartz did not try to monopolize the technology, and they willingly, though it was quite expensive to trade for, spread it to twenty other system. But, the Hime realize this, and feel displeasure. They believe that politics in space shouldn't be complex. They believe that there was only one ruling body, so the politic should be simple. And only that can prevent another war break through the universe. Thus, they invaded the Schwartz System and take over all the research and intelligent in the system. They are arrogant and reckless indeed. The Hime declared: no race used space other than the Hime. Since the inhabitant of planets do not love space, they should just try to find happiness on planets. That way everyone can live together in harmony. Unfortunately, other inter-stellar nations had their own opinion, so the Empire's belief was rather unpopular.

Human society turned out exactly the way the Hime predicted. Inter-stellar nation start to turned upon each other without any reason that would convince a third party. The Empire watched as various states bargained each other as if they were watching children playing an interesting game, but sometime they were force to participate in the wars as well.

The Hime knew no mercy and did not know where to draw the line where war was concerned. Once war began, negotiating a peace was impossible. It continued until the enemy state lost their inter-stellar travel technology and was absorbed into the Empire as individual worlds. This tradition had various repercussions. Three Empress and nine Crown Princesses, and various nobles of the Empire died in space. But thus far, the Empire has won in the end every time.

Now there are only four other than the Empire left. In order on national power, The Artai Federation, The Republic of An Nam, The Lutesia System of Democracy, and The Romulus United. Together these four nation form an alliance called the United of the Mankind and gave up their old feud. It is a military alliance. Who is it against, was unspoken, but it is clear that it was against the only nation that was not invited, "The Empire of Hime". Since then. The United has been quietly hostile toward the Empire. To the Empire, the politics became a lot more simpler since all of the other nations had declared itself an enemy of the Empire. But during the past years, the quietly hostility had turned into serious hostility. The United said that the reason for it was behind the invasion of the Kiyo System by the Empire. But Hecto-Commander Kuga knew that it was simply an excuse. The Kiyo System was invaded seven years ago. The alliance had filed complains against the Empire together just like usual, but remained silent afterward. But one year ago, they had apparently discovered that the invasion of the Kiyo System was an unforgivable crime.

"This must be it." Hecto-commander Kuga muttered.

"What is?" Chief of Staff looked up curiously.

"No." The captain laughed bitterly. "Don't you think the United has been rather provocative lately? They've made unreasonable demands like independence of the Kiyo System, and our opening a route within the Empire to it so that they can safeguard its independence. They must known that the Empire would never accept it."

"And?"

"That mean they're prepared and they want an excuse."

"I see. Preparing for this must have taken some time."

"I don't understand." Chief of Staff shrugged. "Why do they make such a blatant lies?"

"This lies is there to only fool one group, themselves."

"Self glorification….. I really don't understand them now." Chief of staff clueless.

"I don't really understand the way they work either. But they probably want to believe that they're the good side."

"What an honor. So we're a manifestation of evil." Chief of staff said coldly.

"Oh, you didn't know, Chef of Staff?" Captain said happily. "We're invaders from afar and mass-murderer. You should look at the history book of the United Mankind sometime. Apparently all evils in the world are caused by the Hime.."

The Line Navigator reported just as captain got that far.

"Change in enemy space-time bubble. One space-time bubble has split into ten and they're heading toward us. Judging from their size, I believe they're single-assault class ship space-time bubbles"

"When will our guest enter the range of our torpedoes?"

The Line Navigator replied immediately. "Around 2115 ship time."

"Chief of Staff, you'll be second in command. Yellow alert. We'll enter Red Alert at 2030 ship time. Tacticians, analyze our chance of victory are." The captain said. It was a harsh voice vastly different from before.


	12. Chapter 10 Leaving

**Chapter 10 – Leaving  
**

A chime rang throughout the cruiser just as Shizuru want to review the 'Etiquette for Launch' on her table computer. I wonder what it's for. She glanced at the index of her rulebook in the hope that it would tell her. There was no need. A ship wide announcement immediately followed the chime.

"This is the Captain to the crew. Remain at your posts. An unidentified fleet of space-time bubble is cruising roughly 10 kilo-light 60 degree from the cruiser. Their destination seems to be the same as ours, the Aswad Gate." The captain paused for a moment, as if she want information to settle into the crew's mind. "Listen up boys and girls, at this rate we will arrive at Aswad first. But, apparently they don't want that to happen, so they've sent ten single assault at us. We're not sure where they come form yet, but it looks like a fleet from the United Mankind. We may be entering a battle everyone."

Is this a drill? Shizuru wondered. She couldn't make herself believe that it was so. It was too realistic.

"This is not a drill." Captain's voice kindly confirmed it. "I repeat, This is not a drill. If they're persistent, we will going into combat around 2115 ship time. We will enter red alert at 2030 ship time. Any off duty crew members are to rest in preparation for it. I'll repeat it once more so make sure you listen up, My Precious Crew, This is not a drill or a rehearsal. This has been you captain."

Shizuru stared at the roof stunned, and tried to deal with the information that entered her ear. We're going into combat! It was unbelievable. To the best of Shizuru knowledge, the Empire was not in war with anyone. They were deep into the Hime territories.

"Shizuru, may I come in?" she heard Natsuki's voice through the intercome.

"Sure, come in Natsuki!" the door opened.

Natsuki just stood at the door, and made no motion to enter.

"Exactly, what's going on?"

"It's just as you heard. I don't know anything else either." Natsuki said. "Looks like you made it here just in time to see a war start."

"Ara-ara, what luck." Shizuru muttered. Her life seemed to be series of unexpectedly lucky events. "I hope it ends before I join the Star Forces."

"I doubt that." Natsuki said. "We do not like ending a war unfinished, and it looks like our opponent is the United Mankind this time. I wonder if it'll end in my life time…"

"You really do have a talent for cheering people up, Natsuki." Shizuru sighed.

"More importantly, I was ordered to take you to the bridge. Can you come now?"

"I'll go." Shizuru stood up and pur her headpiece, showing her status as the successor to the Kiyohime on. "I wonder if she'll have a special spectator's seat ready for me to watch from."

"You can ask." Natsuki said coldly.

Shizuru felt strange atmosphere on the bridge when she arrived there. There was a nervous tension that fill the air.

"I apologize for making you coming all this way, Your Grace." Captain said. "Flyer Trainee Kruger, please remain where you are."

"Yes, captain!" Natsuki stood at attention diagonally behind Shizuru.

"Your Grace the successor to the Count of Kiyohime, unfortunately we don't have a seat for you." Captain looked up at Shizuru from her chair.

"Please don't concern yourself over it, I'll stand."

"I'm sure you understand what's going on from the broadcast earlier."

"Ara, yes. We'll be going into combat?"

The captain nodded. "Our chance of victory is 0.30. This figure is based on the assumption that the enemy is using state-of-art warships."

"Not very good." Shizuru was strangely calm despite the fact the death was quickly approaching her. Everything seemed surreal to her. She must have caught into it mentally yet.

"Yes, it would be best if we could run away, but the situation will not allowed that." The captain laugh bitterly. "So, we must have Your Grace the Successor to the Count of Kiyohime leave the ship."

"I see." Shizuru nodded. It was a good idea. He can see why the captain suggest so. She still not assigned to any department, a noble, yet she also clearly a civillian. There nothing she could contribute in this wars. The greatest contribution she could make during battle would be to cower in her room so that she doesn't get in the way.

"There is a communication ship on this cruiser. It is small but it was a planar space travel capability. Please go to Aswad ahead of us on this. You will need to refuel once you arrive at the Aswad but you should still be able to reach the fleet at Aswad before that space-time bubble group. Please transfer to that fleet based at Aswad." Hecto-commander glanced behind Shizuru for an instant. "Flyer Trainee Kruger shall take you to the Aswad System."

"But Captain!" Natsuki shouted out in protest. "I do not have a command certificate."

"But you should know how to fly that ship." The hecto-commander pointed out. "You'll automatically get your certificate after this trip. It's a matter of paperwork. You can fly it, trainee."

"But, I'd like to remain on this ship and…."

"I have no intentions of discussing this with a flyer trainee. Am I not the Captain of this ship?" Hecto-commander Kuga said, intending to end the conversation.

"I can't accept this." Natsuki didn't backed away. "I'll say so once more. I am a Kruger, it would be a shame to the name of Kruger if I were to run before an enemy….."

The captain stood up, and glared at Natsuki with her dark forest green pupils. "Wait at least until you get a double winged headpiece before you start spouting nonsense like that Your Highness, Duchess of the Wulfaz Kingdom, Princess of the Kruger Imperial, Flyer Trainee Natsuki Kruger. What are you saying is runing before an enemy? You don't have a position on this ship. You are incomplete, you would only be in the way here. But, I gave you duty, an important duty to take Her Grace the successor to the Count of Kiyohime away from here, and inform the Empire of the approach of a possible enemy fleet. Would refusing to accept such duty mean running away from the enemy? You're too stupid to even understand what running before the enemy is, if that is not a shame to the Kruger, then they are not worthy of the loyalty of the Hime. If you still have anything to say, I'll arrest you on insubordination. Say anything else you have to say at the infamously strict Royal Council."

Shizuru, who was standing between them, could only glance between them worried.

Natsuki turned pale, and bit her lower lip. But it was incredible of her not to look away or try to avoid the captain's gaze.

"I misunderstood, Captain." The princess of the royal said.

"I'm glad you understand." Hecto-commander nodded. "Immediately go prepare the communication ship for launch. I still need to talk with Her Grace the successor to the Count."

"Understood." Natsuki saluted.

"Just report in with me once it's prepared. There's no need to come back."

"…..understood." Natsuki and hecto-commander gaze met for an instant

"Go on now." Hecto-commander Kuga's attitude changed, and became gentle "Let's met at Kruger Kingdom, My Beloved Princess."

"Yes, certaintly." Natsuki seemed to wish to say something else, but she turned away after saluting once more.

Once she made certain that Natsuki disappeared behind the door, the captain turned toward Shizuru once more.

"You Grace, we are limited in both time and space, so please take the minimum amount of luggage you can."

"I intended to do so." Shizuru nodded.

"There is something I'd like you to take with you other than your belongings."

"Ara?"

Captain turned towards the wall behind the chair. "Weapon closet open. This is Knight of the Windbloom Kingdom, Hecto-Commander Kuga Saeko."

_Knight? The title that awarded to the gentry that survive various battles_. The wall opened. O There was quite a few hand of arms inside. The Star Forces has just about given up on the practice of intra-ship combat. They just keep it as a tradition. The captain took out two laser pistols and gave it to Shizuru along with the holsters and flash grenades. "Keep one for yourself Your Grace, and give the other to Flyer Trainee Kruger. She should know how to use it."

"Why will we need thid?" she reluctanly took the gun.

"Just in case." The captain looked at the planar space diagram on the floor. "I believe that to be the advance force of an enemy assault fleet. If they're not, there's no point in splitting their fight force up just to stop us. But I have a feeling that they're just moving to an instinctual desire to destroy."

"You mean… Aswad may already be in enemy hands by the time we arrive there.?"

"I pray that it's not the case." The hecto-commander nodded slightly. "I am quiet grateful that Her Highness the Princess is a flyer trainee. We are supposed to avoid battle when there are non-combatant on board. Even though status is not supposed to matter in the Star Forces, Her Highness Natsuki is someone who may one day become Empress. She may become an excellent Empress. When that happen, I'd like her to admit that it was all thanks to her training as a flyer trainee, that is my ambition. I won't let her be cut off as a bud. You should be leaving now. Please gather up your belonging in your room. I feel bad I cannot have someone to guide you, but you should know the way to the shuttle bay"

"I'll be fine." Shizuru responded. "Ara, yes. I'll leave my family standard behind. I look forward to the day when you can give it back to me as a momento of my stay here."

A curious shade appear on captain's green pupils "Spoken like a true noble, Your Grace."

"Really? I'm glad." Shizuru said humbly, interpreting it as a compliment. "Well then Captain, I'll be going now."

"Your Grace the Successor to the Count of Kiyohime, Shizuru, please take care of Her Highness the Princess."

"I can't think of a situation so dire that Her Highness would count on me." Shizuru said humbly "But if that does happen, I'll do my best."

"I wish you good luck, young noble." the captain smile brightly and salute.


	13. Author Notes : Glossary of the Stars II

Author Notes : Glossary of the Stars II

**Empire of the Hime**

**Kruger Kingdom (The Capitol)** - house of royalties, nobility and ambassadors, birth and genetic control center, administrative and Imperial centre, Flyer Trainee educations and interviews

**Searrs Kingdom** - Commander education center, commander class community, Garderobe University of Star Forces (Kingdom inherit by Alyssa Searrs)

**Zhang Kingdom** - trading and negotiation community, weapon and armor development centre. Zhang University of Inter-galactics Business and Trading.

**Windbloom Kingdom** – house of crusaders and knights, Windbloom University of Star Forces Tactics and War Arts (Saeko's is a gentry from this kingdom)

**Schwartz Kingdom** - computer, technology and research center for inter-galactic and inter-stellar travel, Schwartz University of Technology and Research.

**Aries Kingdom** - Administrative and business community, Aries University of Star Forces Administrative

**Zipang Kingdom** - Food and cuisine community, Navigator and Engineer community. Zipang University of Star Forces Engineering

**Aswad Kingdom** - uninhabited propellant trading, newly established

**Cardair Kingdom **- inhabited, newly established

**Kiyohime Kingdom** - inhabited, newly established (Shizuru's Kingdom)

**Wulfaz Kingdom** - semi-inhabited, newly established. (Natsuki territories given by The Empress)

And many other systems under nobilities.

**Alliance by the United Mankind**

The Artai Federation

The Republic Of An Nam

Lutesia Star System of Democracy

Romulus United


	14. Chapter 11 23:27

**Chapter 11 – 23:30**

Shizuru sat uncomfortably in the co-pilot's seat. Unlike the shuttle, the seats were small and the areas was cramp because of its planar space travel capabilities. Not that Shizuru mind, but the closeness to the pilot makes her mind start to remember the incident happen 5 days ago. How she wish to forget that incident. Or should she think that as curse incident. Maybe a nightmare. Because after that event she had a disturbing blissful dream..or nightmare every single night.

It such a torturing curse as she tried to hold herself not to go to the princess's room and release all her grunge for causing her suffering. Shizuru sighed gently next to one and only cause of her nightmare in her co-pilot seat. Natsuki sat with a frown in her pilot's seat and stared at the planar space diagram. The only thing in this isolated universe, outside of a few particles of space dust, is the communication ship. The engine room was immediately behind the cockpit of the communications ship, along with a wash station and a small room for sleeping. That was the only habitable space in this entire space and she had to spend such space with the pilot the whole journey. _Talk about cruel. The Hime sure is cruel. The only thing I want to avoid is being kill by the only person with me in this empty space because I dare to glomp her, for being such a pervert noble. Maybe after this, my territories will scatter into dust bombarded by the Princess of the Empire. Kami-sama, please kill me. _Shizuru rant in her mind. Another sigh escape from her lips.

We're the only people in this universe….

But, half of the sentinent creatures in this universe was deeply depressed. The other half was hardly able to control her libido trying to fill the universe with a slightly more reasonable atmosphere.

"Umm..Natsuki." Shizuru tried conversation.

Natsuki raised her head, it was hard to read from her expression exactly what she was thinking.

"You're the grand daughter of the current Empress, right? Since I'm be meeting her soon, what was she like?"

"Hmm.." She scrunch her eyebrow together. "I seldom go to the throne room. But, if I want to describe her in one word, I would say, Prideful"

Pride. For an arrogant and reckless Hime society, the word 'pride' carved a very high praise and effectionate in their heart. As some parent may praise their child of their pride, as friends praise one another and the lover praise their counterpart. In some way, the word pride are very expensive that people would die to gain, especially from their love one.

"Shizuru…."

"What?"

"T-thanks" a slight tinge of blush appear on Natsuki cheek. It look cute on her.

"Hmm? About what?" Shizuru had a smile on her face.

"Baka…." Said shyly a whisper. "ehemm..you're being considerate. It's hardly effective, but I..I'm gr..grateful for your consideration."

"Ara. I'm just merely want to break the silence. I feel bored here in the co-pilot's seat. Otherwise, Natsuki can think of some interesting..hmmm…activity that we both can enjoy. I wouldn't mind." Shizuru relaxed even has she has a pervert face staring at Natsuki.

"Yahhh! Yahh! Don't you dare think about anything stupid. You woman!"

"Ara..ara..whatever my cute princess though? I'm just thinking something like videogames, or a movies. Furthermore, you look quite angry before." Shizuru smile slightly.

Natsuki stared at the screen once more. "angry. That I was completely useless when I was needed the most."

"That's horrible." Shizuru said quietly.

"What?" the princess stared at her curiously.

"You are being of use to me. You're the only person I can rely on right now. Or is my little life not enough to satisfy your noble sense of duty?"

"….you're right. You shall forgive me."

"I'm sure that ship is fine." Shizuru said with no basis.

"Really?"

"Yes, I'm sure." Shizuru said, half trying to convince herself.

At Volash cruiser, the tense bridge was already operating with all assigned crew member.

"Communications ship space time bubble separating."

Hecto-commander nodded silently in response to the report by her second in command. The last time the Empire displayed their invincibility was 50 years ago during The Demon Campaign when Empress Inoue Kruger fought as the Crown Princess and high commander of the Imperial Star Forces. The invasion of the Kiyo System just a little aftermath event after that big war. The Deca-commanders from all fleets were scatter over the galaxies to expand the Hime Empire. At the event, Deca-commander Alyssa Searrs was only just been promoted to the rank after the battles and still a fresh graduate from the university. If the invasion of the Kiyo System disregard insignificant event, the long war of Demon Campaign felt like a thing of the past to even the long live Hime. Of course, no one on the Volash has any real combat experience except the Captain, which of course the survivor of the Demon Campaign.

Second in command had recovered more of her calmness than anyone else.

"Captain, both girls had left." Second in command said to the captain.

"I just hope nothing happens to them." Saeko tapped at her armrest as she watched the small blue dot move further and further away.

"I hope so too." Second in command said happily. "They both had a strange upbringings, so they may become rather interesting people when they grow up. Though they are plenty interesting already."

"Yes." Saeko mumbled.

The princess who grow up in the royal family, the source of all that is Hime, and entered the trainee program at the age of 13, was a stereotypical Hime. On the other hand, the successor to the count cannot let go of her grounder ways, she was a peculiar Imperial noble. They contrast each other so much.

"I hope they influence each other for the better." Second in command added.

"Oh, Chief of staff." Saeko turned back towards her second in command in surprise. "You say things that I expect to hear from a teacher. Do you wish to get transferred to the trainee program?"

"Not at all, captain." Second in command shook her head. "I'm not the type of person who can be held responsibilities for a youngster's education. I feel much more comfortable on the front line. Especially now the war starting."

"Don't say so just for my regard. I won't think of it as running away." Saeko smile and turned her gaze back to the front. "Chief of staff, what do you think of the Successor to the Count?"

"She's a nice young woman. She probably silently question herself about everything she does, about whether it's what a Hime would do. I like her eyes a great deal."

"I like her too." Saeko laugh as she recalled memories about Shizuru.

The second in command smile fondly at the memories they spend together with the Flyer Trainee and the young noble. "It would be a good experience for Her Highness to interact with Her Grace."

"Yes. Making those two meet each other may be the greatest accomplishment I have ever done.. but that's only if the two of them make it to the capitol safely."

"You must be very worried." The second in command said teasingly.

"Is it strange to be worried?" Saeko's gaze challenged her second in command.

"Well, to tell you the truth, we are the ones facing the greater danger. Is it not why you sent those two away?, "

"You're right. I need to carry out my duties toward my subordinates right now."

**19:37**

"Captain" Forward Flyer reported. "we have entered communications range with the unknown space-time bubble."

"Name ourselves, and ask them who they are." Saeko ordered.

"Understood." An inter bubble transmission was sent from the cruiser Volash. A responded returned after a long awkward moment.

"This is….." The forward flyer focused on her spatial sense on the pattern that appeared on the inner surface of the space time bubble. "This is not a transmission, it's a challenge to fight!"

"It decided then." Saeko muttered the slight hope that they were friendly ships operating under orders she was unaware of disappeared. But somehow she felt relieved for it. The ten space time bubbles approached as they screamed out their bloodthirsty message.

**20:30**

"It's time captain." Second in command told her.

"Okay." Saeko announced to all crewmembers at all stations. "To the crew, this is your captain. The unidentified space time bubble has clearly declared that they are the enemy. We are switching to red alert now. All crew are to go to combat stations." Simultaneously, an alarm began to sound throughout the ship.

"All crew at combat attention." Second in command reported. She had been monitoring the ship wide crew stations displayed.

"Prepare for torpedo." The captain said without pause "fuel torpedoes seven through ten with propellant." Saeko sighed, "Its unfortunate we have waste six of our torpedoes during last mock battle."

"Torpedoes fuel with propellant." Wing flyer repeated the report from the propellant engineer.

"Launch torpedoes, have them await further orders within our space time bubble." The four torpedoes shot out and began circling the ship.

**21:13**

"Enemy space time bubble entering the range of our torpedoes." The Line Navigator reported.

Saeko stood up from her seat, and pulled the control rod out of her belt. "Okay, my beloved crew, let's begin. You must be tired of waiting by now. Begin combat!"

"All torpedoes, generated space time bubble. Target 7 to 3, 8 to 1, 9 to 6, 10 to 7. Fire torpedoes" Saeko ordered. It would be best to send two torpedoes into each space time bubble, but that was a luxury they could not afford.

"Understood. Torpedoes separating!" The reliable vibrations of propellant torpedoes meeting its targets spread through ship. Four red dots disappeared from the maps leaving only 6 are recorded as being the first casualties of this long war. The remaining red dots had completely surrounded the blue dot, the cruiser Volash. They circle around the Volash, closing in on it like a prey.

"Looks likes their formation is right out of the book." Saeko was impresed. She could tell that they were quite disciplined.

"Prepared for normal space combat. Activate main engine." Saeko switched her headpiece to external sensors. "Understood, activating main engines." The wing flyer repeated.

"Arms division, prepare the rail guns."

Forward flyer put her control glove on. "Rail guns prepare to launch, captain."

"Space time merging. Location…"

The captain already detected one portion of the space time bubble penetrate trough Volash space time bubble.

"Turn about! Forty degrees. Front toward the merging point!" Saeko pointed the control rod towards the merging point. The direction the control rod pointed in was detected by the sensors in the bridge. Forward flyer move the ship according to the direction.

"Fire without waiting orders as soon as we've merged!" Saeko shouted giving attention to Forward flyer.

" Understood!" Forward flyer sound nervous.

"All crew brace for the firing of the rail guns!" the Second in command announced to the crew.

There was no time for countdown. The rail guns fired just as enemy ship invaded the Volash space time bubble. The main weapon of the cruiser is the rail guns. There are four on the front of the ship and two at the back. The four on the front shot out nuclear fusion. Another volley followed. Even the gravity control system could not handle the large repercussion, and any crew that did not brace for impact was trown on the ground.

Another shot of nuclear fusion shot from the front rail gun toward the enemy ship, avoiding the barrage of defensive fire by the enemy ship. After finishing their directional control thrusts, it used up all of its remaining fuel to accelerate towards the enemy ship.

The enemy ship fired its nuclear fusion too. But since most of the nuclear fusion stream hit Volash head on, it bounced off the defensive magnetic field of Volash immediately.

Five locations in their sapce time bubble were already showing the signs of space time merging.

"Bring the head about!" Saeko pointed to the merging point with the second enemy spacetime bubble. The nose of the ship turned toward it. A shot sent right before the enemy ship merge with the Volash.

They turned toward next target without even confirming the enemy's destruction. They were about to space time merging right behind the warship.

"Bring the tail about to!" Saeko pointed the control rod over her shoulder.

Enemy space time bubble number five had completely merged on the cruiser's flank. Neither the head nor the tail would make it in time.

"Shoot it down with point cannon!" she threw her arm and control rod toward the flank. The point cannon fire the laser fire and anti-proton streams. But the stream of anti-protons that the enemy shot clustered together and flew toward Volash. Though then defensive magnetic field slowed it down, the shot still impacted Volash. It passed through the outer hull instantly and boiled the water that stored just inside. The boiling water detonated another part of the outer hull and on of the attitude control thrusters. The A.I of the Volash detected the damage and the ship mobility's hurt.

The space time bubble, disturbed by numerous merging points, twisted and distorted. The battle continue within the writhing universe….

**21:32**

Almost half of the point cannons were now damage.

"Laser cannon number three heavily damages!" "Number three forward thruster down."

"Main engine output has….."

Bad news flowed constantly from all of sections on the ship. Saeko closed her eyes and focus her spatial sense. The space around them was littered with debris. There may even be people among the debris. But even so, they could not save them. Any shuttle they released would no doubt be shot down. That and…..their uniform were too thin to protect them from the raging radiation.

Of course this universe had no chance of creating life. All there is is death. The hatred wandered through the universe danced with each other, creating more death.

The two enemy ship buzzed around quickly like bees, but the cruiser's movement were painfully slow. Of course the point cannon were raining fire upon them. One of the enemy ship was about to enter the range of the rear rail guns, chased by the point cannon.

"Tail towards there!" Saeko shouted for the attention for the forward flyer. Three shot fired seeking vengence. The strong reaction shook the cruiser's gaint mass. An explosive formed behind them.

One more!

The captain thought must have been what the entire crew thinking.

The last ship fired its anti-proton cannons from the flank.

That last shot was fatal. "Magnetic defense field is gone…." Wing flyer reported with gasp.

A feeling of doom hung in the air.

"Don't give up my beloved crew!" Saeko shouted. "We're going to beat that out of our universe! Turn the head about!"

Volash slowly began moving the head about. It moved as if begging for a chance to rest after all its hard work.

"Point cannon concentrate fire to the right of enemy, force it to move towards the head of our ship."

But the enemy ship flew toward them all the while, and continue firing its anti-proton cannon much stronger than before due to lack of magnetic field, rain upon the cruiser. The point cannon carved out of the enemy spaceship armors, but it failed to slow them down.

Finally, one anti-proton stream penetrated the Volash outer hull, cut through the inside like butter, and punctured the propellant fuel tanks. The magnetic cage was penetrated, and the escaping explosion assaulted the material constructing the ship.

**23:27**

**The cruiser Volash was destroyed**...


	15. Chapter 12 Pride

**Chapter 12 – Pride**

"Shizuru."

"Yes?"

"Do you remember what I said about my birth secret?"

"Ara, of course." Shizuru wondered why she brought that up all of sudden. "It's a secret, don't tell anyone….."

"Ma..ma..I love secret." Shizuru said in a cheery tone, trying to get the princess to cheer up.

"The source for my genetic material was... the captain."

"Huh?" Shizuru wondered if she misheard her. "You mean….Hecto-commander Kuga is your mother?"

"She's not my mother, she's my genetic donor."

"Don't mind that, I'm still used to my grounder ways." Shizuru explained, "But….she didn't seem that way at all."

No, there was. Shizuru corrected herself. The captain called Natsuki 'My Beloved Highness' as they were saying goodbyes. She felt something beyond the relationship of an officer and her subordinate.

"What do you think the Star Forces is? It doesn't matter if you're old friends. Except when you're alone together."

"Ara, it's complicated." Shizuru shrugged.

"But… I was proud. She's a prideful person. Saeko was…the captain was an acquaintance of mine since I was little, and I respected her. I feel proud that she is the source of half of me. More importantly, I was a daughter of love. The captain was my mother's love."

"If you knew since when you were little, you should have asked her." Shizuru was half tired of the Hime tradition of separating family and relation.

"I told you. I was still not an adult, so without my mother's consent…"

"No, I mean, you should've asked the Captain directly."

Natsuki blinked and stared at Shizuru.

Shizuru worried. "Did I say something strange?"

"Yes," the princess said. "Something incredibly strange."

"Ara. But how is it strange? Is it really that strange to ask the captain directly?"

"There is such a thing as etiquette."

"Ara.. you mean it's rude to ask your genetic donor if she's your genetic donor."

"That is very shameful, Shizuru."

"Ara..?" Shizuru closing her eyes and put her finger in a thinking pose. I don't understand. "How is it shameful?"

"You don't need a reason for something to be shameful. It's shameful because it's shameful."

She has a good point there. Shizuru forced herself to agree. Asking someone if she was your mother would take quite a bit of courage even from his non-Hime perspective.

"Besides, even if I asked, she would not have responded. Only your parent can tell you who the source of your genetic material is."

"But, the captain is your mother's…The Queen of Kruger Imperial's love? Is it rude to ask or tell someone that?"

"Of course. It is."

"Ara..Really?"

"Yes. Is that confusing too?"

"Very." Shizuru said. "Who sis you hear that from? That Hecto-commander Kuga Saeko is Her Highness The Queen''s lover?"

"I can tell even without asking. The captain came to our palace frequently."

"Ara-ara, How confusing."

"Stop repeating yourself, Shizuru!" Natsuki wrinkled her brow. "It's annoys me."

"Ma..ma..don't mind me" Shizuru leaned back.

Natsuki stared at Shizuru as if she wished to say something, but returned her gaze to the screen. "Even if she wasn't my genetic donor, I still like Saeko-san. I respected her even in the palace, but I learned to respect her more on the ship. The other flyers and crews too. I hope they all okay…" Natsuki said as if praying for their safety.

"Yes." Shizuru remember each person she spoke to on the cruiser. She had known them for five days, but they were all nice people. Her prejudice of the Hime as being violent invaders had completely disappeared. At least, she had no reason who wish them dead.

Natsuki stood still for a few moments. The deep silence they had finally sacred off her returned. This time Shizuru remained silent and stared at the controls.

"Shizuru." Natsuki raised her head. "Will you tell me about your home world?."

That was sudden, but Shizuru know Natsuki want to distract herself from glooming over the cruiser. "Ara, yes. Sure." Shizuru felt relieved. "where should I begin. Unlike your territories, I have lots of stories about my home world."

Shizuru notice the crest emblem on her chest, and decide to start talking about the organism on it and about the great serpent of hydra and its tragic myth.

The next day, outside of the time they spent sleeping in shifts, Shizuru talked about what she remembered, and sometimes what she made up concerning the organism on the Kiyo Planet. Surprisingly, she succeeded in making Natsuki laugh a few times.

After a day in the communication ship, Shizuru and Natsuki arrived at the territories of the Baroness of Aswad.


	16. Chapter 13 The Territories of Aswad

**Chapter 13 – The territories of Baroness of the Aswad**

The Aswad territories has a blue star and two gas gaints, and numerous asteroids. Even with the Empire's best terraforming technologies, creating a habitable planet would be impossible. The asteroids didn't have any resources worth ferrying out over planar space either. It was an empty star system. But the Baroness family did get an income from this territories. It was a business that could be run anywhere with a star. A merchandise that is constantly in demand and stable: the production of propellant from the star particles.

The many circular disks orbits near star of Aswad. These are the tanks full of the propellant fuel. The manor of the Baroness of Aswad orbited even further out than the fuel asteroids. The Aswad gate was placed like it was an intrance to the manor. Now a single communications ship invaded the territory from the gate.

"Can you display the outside for me, Natsuki?" Shizuru requested.

"Okay." Natsuki closed her hand in the control glove in the complex shape and the walls of the cockpit filled with stars.

"I didn't know that the stars were so comforting." Shizuru said sincerely. The inside of the space time bubble are dreary blue. Compared to that, the glittering stars felt much more friendly. She understood a little why the Hime called themselves the princesses of the stars and thought of space as their home.

"The journey ahead is still long, Shizuru." Natsuki was cool. "We'll return to the planar space as soon as possible and regroup with the main fleet after refuel."

"Can we take a break while we refuel?" Shizuru asked full of hope.

"What do you need to take a break for? You haven't done anything."

"Ara, Thank you for reminding me." Shizuru said sarcastically. "But I monitoring the device while you slept."

"Everytime something happen you woke me up."

"I never woke you up because nothing happened."

"That is thanks to the A.I and myself."

"Fine." Shizuru gave up.

It was true that Shizuru hadn't done anything, or more precisely couldn't done anything, but the communication ships was set on autopilot. She had never seen Natsuki do anything either.

Compare to that, Shizuru muttered in her heart, I've done a lot more work on preparing your peculiar taste in foods and tidying up the bed because you slept as if you had a fight there. Not to mention a lot of incoherent mumbling.

Natsuki communicated with the control tower. "This is a communication ship from the cruiser Volash. Requesting response from the Aswad manor operation."

A grounder woman appear on the screen that displayed the star charts. "This is Aswad manor operation."

"This is the communication ships from the cruiser Volash. We request refueling."

"A communication ship from cruiser?" The operator asked curiously. It was rare to see a communications ship request refueling without the mother ship. But even so, the operator nodded. " understood, communication ship from Volash. We welcome you. Please select how you would like to be refuel?"

"This is light weight ship, so we request refueling in your docking port."

"Understood. Please transmit the refueling quantity that you request."

"understood." Natsuki ended the transmission and said to Shizuru. "If we refuel at the docking port we can take a break. We can probably take a shower too."

"Ara-ara..that reassuring." Said Shizuru. "Taking a break isn't a bad idea at all. Right now you're probably the smelliest princess in all of the galaxy."

"What did you say, Shizuru?" Natsuki's pretty eyes narrowed into a slit. "Do you want to die that desperately? I'll help you if it was."

"ma..ma..I was just joking, Natsuki." Shizuru just grin sheepishly. Maybe the threat didn't work at all. "You don't smell that much, I promise."

"That much?" Natsuki eyes narrowed even more.

"I mean…you don't smell at all." Shizuru played along. That was closest to the truth. "What kind of an idiot would suggest that you would smell at all!"

"Hmm…that good." came a satisfied expression from Natsuki.

_She's can be quiet childish sometime._ Shizuru smile inwardly.

"But, you are hardly sanitary yourself."

"Ara..yes." Shizuru admitted. "But you'll probably find a successor to the Count or two that are dirtier than I am somewhere in the empire. I mean there are a lot more of us than there are princesses."

"Just as Natsuki opened her mouth to say something back, the operator called them from the screen. "We have approved your refueling in the docking port, communication ship from Volash. No problem, please move to the docking port immediately."

"Understood. Manor operation, I request guidance to the docking port." Natsuki asked.

"Understood, I'll immediately do so. Is there anything else we could help, communication ship from Volash?"

"There…we would like to request to rest a bit in the manor. We would like to take a shower too, if possible."

"That's….I must notify the Lord first. May I know the passenger's name please?"

"Yes. I have the Her Highness the successor to the Count Fujino of Kiyohime Kingdom, Shizuru and I am Flyer Trainee….."

"Count!, please wait, pilot.I have to notify my Lord as soon as possible!"

"A..ah…" Natsuki raise her brow. She didn't yet finish her words.

"Communication ship from Volash. You may docking and take a rest here at Aswad Manor."

"There is also something I must notify you about Aswad manor operator…" Natsuki told them about the invasion of what appears to be an enemy fleet into Imperial territory while they approached the manor. "That's…." the operator broke off. It took her some time to pull herself together again, but she said "I, I must tell that to my Lord."

"Of course, do so."

The narrow part of the manor of the Baronnes could be seen clearly in front of the blue star Aswad. A large hydrogen transport vessel docked at the spaceport as well as a few other small intrasystem spaceship, resting there like small insects.

They approached the port. The view of the outside was turned off, and walls turned milky white green letters flowing across the screen reported that they had connected to the docking station.

"Let's go Shizuru." Natsuki stood up, taking off all the equipment.

"Yes." Shizuru stood up too. "How long can we stay here?"

"Around half an hour."

"Ara? Just that?" Shizuru looked disappointed. That was just enough time for her to wash herself. Though she was plenty thankful for just that.

"We have to get to the main fleet as soon as possible."

"Ara, I know." Shizuru followed Natsuki into the engine room. "But how far ahead of the enemy ships are we?"

"What, you didn't know?" Natsuki scorned her. "48 hours by Aswad time."

"Then we…" Shizuru notice the princess's expression "can't waste a moment time. We have to tell main fleet about the danger as soon as possible."

"I'm glad you haven't forgotten." Natsuki said bitterly.

The two of them stood above the airlock in the engine room. It was closed off by a drop chute. "Open." Natsuki ordered the drop chute.

The two of them stepped onto the Baroness manor after traveling through a clear connection tube. Dozens of grounders stood in attention at the end of the connection tube. They were probably the Baroness vassals. Natsuki felt something strange about it. She realized what it was immediately. All of them were female and grounders. The women had their heads bowed down.

"Your Grace the Count…ess." One of them step forward fearfully. She was the operator that they spoke to earlier. She looked down entire time as if meeting Shizuru's face to face was bad luck. Natsuki raise one brow and confused glance briefly flicker at Shizuru. _Countess?_

"Please come this way, I will take you to the resting room."

Shizuru glanced back at Natsuki seeking for approval. Natsuki just nodded. "Ara, yes. Please do so."

"Is it always like this?" Natsuki whispered to her.

"Yes… even worse when I was in Sora." Shizuru answer calmly.

"Hmmmm…." Natsuki place her hands behind her head and looking the other way. "Fortunately, I didn't get chance to introduced myself clearly before."

They were taken to the room within the spaceport. There were several couches, and the walls were filled with fishes swimming amongst the stars. No one else was inside. Shizuru was guided to the most secluded couch in the room. When Natsuki tried to sit down next to her, the operator motioned for her to stop. "Flyer Trainee, you may seated over there."

"Huh!" Natsuki blinked, not understanding. "why?"

"That's….."the operator hesitated not knowing how to put it into words. She gazed Natsuki right in the face without hesitation.

It's the usual response. She's finding that the green eyes and headpiece of the invaders are peculiar. And, she probably thinks she shouldn't let this young woman who obviously has the genetics material of evil sit next to noble grounder. Most grounders think the same about the Hime.

"Natsuki." Shizuru said "you may sit here."

"Yeah." Natsuki was angry, so she sat without paying heed to the operator.

The operator wrinkled her brow, but didn't try to disobey Her Grace. "May I bring you something to drink?" she asked.

"Hmm… Thank you, ara..what was your name again?"

"It's Yayoi, Your Grace the Countess." The said Yayoi bowed again.

"Yes, Yayoi-san. Rather than drink, I would like to use a shower room. Please take me there."

"A nobility take a shower!" the operator's eyes was confused. "I dare not respond to that. What should I bring you to drink?"

Shizuru looked at Natsuki as if she had lost.

"I'd like a coffee and put lots of milk in it. A lukewarm one." She wasn't thirsty, but Natsuki said so because she felt that she had to say something.

"I'd like green tea, a hot one, please."

"You've got peculiar sense of taste, Shizuru. Who would drink a bitter…." Natsuki said so casually, but when she realized, the operator was glaring at her viciously, Natsuki just stop… confuse was evidence on her face.

"Did I say something strange to the grounder?" Natsuki muttered.

"I don't like this place." Shizuru said.

"I agree." Natsuki nodded. She felt as if they weren't paying attention to her at all. Of course, in military, rank doesn't matter. It wasn't that she wanted to brag about her social status, but it was hardly pleasing to be ignored. That's was Natsuki's wish.

Eventually the operator returned with another woman and a machine. The machine stop next to Natsuki.

"Go ahead." The operator glanced at Natsuki coldly.

"Thanks" Natsuki growled silently under her breath as she took a cup of coffee from the machine.

The other woman was trying to place the cup of green tea from her tray. It was evident that she was very nervous. Her fingers were shaking, and the tea was moving in waves.

"I hope you enjoy your drink, You Grace. We should excuse ourselves now." Yayoi bowed her head again, quivering. Then they left.

"I'm surprised." It was not pleasing for Natsuki to see, althought she was a royalty "I'm starting to dislike it even more."

"Ara?" Shizuru look at Natsuki as if trying to questioned her.

"They seemed scared of something. I thought the crewmen on the Volash were much more settled than that. The Hime and also the grounders."

"Ara?"

"The crewmen on the Volash are normal."

"Ara? I don't understand. Didn't you also face the same problem before? You're royalty, I thought more people are behave the same, even worse when you're around."

"Of course they respect me, but it didn't have to be like this? It's strange."

"Ara?" Shizuru's brow raise.

"You didn't believe me? You'll find out once you get to the Capitol. I don't make lies that get foiled right away."

"Mmmm…" Shizuru put her hand in a thinking post.

"I even been yelled at by the citizens when I was a child!" Natsuki got angry.

"Maybe she didn't know that you were Her Highness the Princess."

"She's not you..or this manor's vassals!. Besides, that citizen worked for us. How can she not know who I was?"

"By us do you mean the Kruger family?"

"Yes. She was a gardener for our family. I had made the autocart malfunction in the dining hall, and ruined the thicket.

"Your stories are hard to understand sometimes. Why would there be a thicket in the dining hall? Was it just outside the dining hall?"

"No, it was a garden style dining hall."

"Ara." Shizuru recalled something.

The homes of the Hime are usually within an artificial environment. It rains where and when the inhabitant wants it to rain. Since there is no difference between indoor and outdoor, they can even make flower garden in their bedroom. It was not surprising to have a thicket in the dining hall.

"and…." Natsuki began narrate.

A suspicious analysis of her story reveals that the gardener said to Natsuki with a strong bearing the following. That she felt a lot of pride in the work she did, and that she put a lot of artistic work into the late thicket. She felt a great deal of shock and anger in that it was ruined by a delinquent seven year old girl's prank and that mankind had still not discovered a way in which her anger could be quelled.

By the time her lecture has ended, Natsuki was sincerely apologizing her with quivering lips, and promised never to repeat such foolish act with the vocabulary of seven year old. The gardener did not count on Natsuki promise, as she know Natsuki is such a delinquent child. Without breaking out of her courteous and warm manner, she made sure that it was carved into Natsuki's memory that "the next time Your Highness's autocart wreck my artistic works, I will make sure that you spend some time in an intimate relationship with the earthworms." Before allowing her to go.

"…..of course my mother scolded me afterwards too. 'if you believe that your life is worthless enough to trade for moment of pleasure, then fine. But, a person;s pride is definitely not worth more than that.' She said"

"Maybe that gardener was an exception." Shizuru was still suspicious.

"No! the vassals for the Kruger family and the vassals of all noble families that I know all feel pride in their work, and are proud people."

"I guess." Shizuru was finally starting to believe her. "But they seem pretty proud in dealing with you now."

"I know. They just ignored me. I was just wondering if that was the case or not."

"Anyways, I don't like this. Maybe we should give up on shower, Natsuki…"

Just then, the wall on the side of the table changes. A square appeared amidst the fish swimming in the stars, and instead the picture of a woman appeared.

"I apologize for sending but a transmission." The woman said. "You are Her Grace Fujino Shizuru, the successor to the Count of Kiyohime Kingdom I take it?"

"Ara, yes. I am." Shizuru admitted.

"I am Baroness of the Aswad Kingdom, Tomoe Marguerite. It is my pleasure to meet you, Your Grace."

Author notes:

Ohayou Gozaimas,

I will take a little day off from updating the story, since I'll be admit to therapy room and have to stay in there for few days.  
I'm sorry if you have to wait for next update for too long period, but don't worry...It just a short hiatus and I'll be back as soon as my treatment end and back to my own ward again.

therefore, stay tune...

Ja...arigatou gozaimas for stay with me until this chapter..


	17. Chapter 14 The Baroness of Aswad

**Chapter 14 – Baroness of the Aswad Kingdom**

. "You are Her Grace Fujino Shizuru, the successor to the Count of Kiyohime Kingdom I take it?"

"Ara, yes. I am." Shizuru admitted.

"I am Baroness of the Aswad Kingdom, Tomoe Marguerite. It is my pleasure to meet you, Your Grace."

"Nice to meet you, Baroness." Shizuru nodded, and pointed toward Natsuki. "She is…"

"Flyer Trainee from Volash Cruiser, Natsuki." Natsuki suddenly interrupted. Shizuru glance an enquiry look toward Natsuki, but unfortunately it was ignored by the latter.

"Oh..erm..nice to meet you too, Flyer Trainee.". once the formal introductions were complete, the Baroness lost interest with Natsuki rapidly.

"Well, Your Grace. I must apologize to you for something."

"What is it?" Shizuru showed suspicions.

"Unfortunately, we have a bit of a problem. It has become evident that we don't have enough fuel for you."

Shizuru look toward Natsuki and they both exchange a confiused gaze before Natsuki reply " Then, we will refuel directly from a fuel asteroid."

"What are you saying?" The Baroness continued quiet rudely. "It would be a shame to the noble if we have Her Grace leave like this. You see, I must have Her Grace come to my humble manor and satisfied with our service, don't you understand Flyer Trainee?" The baroness replied sarcastically.

"Anoo…thank you for your invitation, but…" Shizuru wrinkled her brow

"We're sorry. There are an urgent matter we must attend. And we don't have time to be doing such. Have Your Excellency not heard? Then, you should ask your vassals. It is not a matter of etiquette, Your Excellency the Baroness." Natsuki's patience started to running low.

"I have heard, Flyer Trainee. But, I would still like both of you to accept my invitation."

"I thank you for your invitation, but…" It was clear that Shizuru did not feel thankful at all. Shizuru was starting to get impatient too. "If you are aware of the circumstances, you must have more important things to do than to welcome us. Perhaps you should prepare to abandon your territory. The enemy is coming soon."

"I thank you for your consideration of us, Your Grace. But, unfortunately we do not have a ship. There is nothing we can do."

"Ara, but…"

"But please listen." The Baroness interrupted. "The fully fueled fuel asteroids are in orbit quite a distance from us. Everything near us are empty fuel asteroids."

"That impossible." Natsuki start to get irritated.

"Oh..you doubt me, Flyer Trainee?" The Baroness made a severe look. "I know the situation here at this system best."

"Forgive me." Natsuki apologize, but its far from sincere. "But even if it is a little distance away, we can fly there."

"There is no need, we are accelerating the asteroid this way. It should be in the vicinity in another twelve hours."

"Twelve hours,,,?" Natsuki eyebrow twitch.

"So, Your Grace. I would like you to spend some time at my manor in the mean while. At least wash your sweat away and join me for dinner. Furthermore, I would like more detailed information about the enemy. I have that right."

"Oh"

"Ara"

That caught both of them off guard especially Natsuki. "You're right, Baroness. We had not realized. We have the Volash's logs, so I will give you a copy of necessary passages."

"That is fine, Flyer Trainee." The Baroness dissatisfied, "but I wish to hear it from both of you at dinner table. And I have a question too regarding the Kiyo System to ask Her Grace."

"But, we should arrive earlier than that if we leave on our communications ship. We would like to depart toward the closest full asteroid as soon as I give you a copy of the logs" Natsuki reiterated.

"That is correct." Said the Baroness. "But I have been informed that your communication ship is in need of a check up. Either way, it cannot be allowed to leave."

"Check up? Where?"

"I don't know. I haven't heard the details. Please ask the person examined it. But, since she is busy with her duties, you both may join me for dinner before doing so. Or you can leave Her Grace to join me a dinner while you go ask the person herself." Without waiting a response, the baroness said "well then, my vassals will be there to guide you both, so please wait where you are."

Her face disappeared.

Natsuki glare at where her face was. "she's so rude.! so annoying. And she also discourteous me"

"Yeah." Shizuru had to agree with Natsuki. Though the Baroness speak with Natsuki, but it was because Natsuki answered and interrupt her. She only look at Shizuru while talking with Natsuki as though Natsuki wasn't even persent there. "But you can't blame her. Anyone would pay no attention toward a Flyer Trainee if a noble were present. You should introduce yourself properly next time."

"If she really wish to welcome us, she should have same manner toward us. Am I not right? Or is this confusing to you as well?" Natsuki bark angrily.

"No. It's not confusing, Natsuki." Shizuru said trying to calm Natsuki.

"I don't like her!" Natsuki said clearly angry with the baroness.

"Hmm… I agree with you on that." Shizuru cooed. "I'm happy that you're angry for me, Natsuki.."

"What? I'm not angry for you but…"

"Ara, sou.? Then..Natsuki not angry when someone clearly lied for me to stayed? Then..Natsuki want to leave me behind?" Shizuru fake a tears.

"Wha..of course No! I mean…Yes!..No! what am I saying!" Natsuki panicked. "Arggg..what I'm trying to say is, of course I'm angry when someone lied to you, and No, I won't leave you behind. Why would I do that?"

"Really?"

"Yeah! Really, I promise!"

"You promise?"

"A hime promise it is!"

"Yokatta!..I like Natsuki!" Shizuru smile brightly without a hint of tears left behind.

Natsuki twitch her brow. _Did she cried a while ago? What with the sunshine smile then? Like? Grounder sure is strange. but…_

" Talk about lie, I don't trust that attitude of her. I think, the communications ship needing a check up was a lie too. Pardon me but I doubt a territory this small has that kind of capabilities. He may just wish to delay us, Shizuru."

"Ara, then let's think about this logically. If the Baroness is plotting something, what is she plotting? What can she gain by keeping us at her manor by lying to us?"

Natsuki look as if she could think up of some thing. "Hmmm…maybe she wants the communications ship."

"For what?" Shizuru questioned

"Isn't it obvious? To run away from the enemy fleet, of course."

"Natsuki. That communications ship has two seat only. You know that also. Only two people can go on it."

"Well, that's plenty if the baroness plans on running away alone."

"Leaving her vassals behind? Do you think us grounder that low?"

"You're right. A noble will not leave her vassals behind. She is still a citizens of Hime. Leaving your vassals or subject behind is the most shameful act a noble can make. Just that is unforgivable before Imperial law. If you pile on the crime of hijacking a ship, she can expect much better treatment in the United Mankind POW camp, rather than the Empire."

"Also, she's a grounder. How can a grounder piloting a Hime ship. She doesn't have a spatial sense to piloting such ship."

"You are correct, Shizuru." Natsuki nodded, "But, people may do illogical things when they feel treatened. Captain use to tell me a stories, back when they invade a planet, a high rise building was caught on fire. They saw a person jump off the 35th floor chased by flames. He probably thought it would be better to plummet to his death rather than burn to death. But for me, I hate to go out like that. I would not give up until my last breath. Geezz..I really don't understand people. A Hime should feel pride of themselve than to throw their life worthlessly."

"Ara, did she look desperate to you?"

"No, she didn't but…" Natsuki reluctanly agreed. "well, I suppose we can accept her welcome. I'll try to enjoy it."

The baroness's vassals were walking toward them.

The bath did feel great. Shizuru feel all the exhaustion she built up along with sweat melt away as she lay in the tub. But she couldn't totally relax. The reason behind it was her companions. For some reason, a woman introduce herself as Arika had followed her into the bathtub and constantly bothered her with offer to "wash her back" or "wash her hair". She seems to have this misconception that noble all live like that.

But except for when she was young, Shizuru had Leena wash her body. Usually just dipping in a bath with liquid soap mixed in, and walking under a dryer kept her clean enough. But it was a long time ago. And Arika didn't believe her.

"Please don't hesitate to ask."

Hesitate!? Shizuru grew tired of arguing, and let Arika do as she please. Even now, Arika sat by the bath with a fluffy white towel.

"Have you heard? An enemy fleet is headed towards the Aswad gate.?" Shizuru said to her from within the bath.

"Yes."

"Are you not afraid?"

"No. I'm sure my Lord will do something about it."

"The Baroness? What can she do?"

"I don't know"

"I see. You must trust the Baroness greatly."

"Of course!" Arika said passionately. "I would not be here today if not for her!"

"What do you mean?"

"It was a dream of mine since I was a child to become a citizen. But I didn't have the education to become a vassal."

"If it was your dream since you were a child," Shizuru pointed out "you should have had time to educate yourself."

"In my home world, the Sapphire Planet, the status of women is extremely low. We were unable to receive the high education needed to become a vassal. They did not expect anything of a women other than to become a good wife and good mother. Until I went to another worlds, I though all worlds were like that."

"Ara, really?"

"Yes. My lord picked me up from that world, and even gave me an education."

"Education?" What education was necessary to wash someone's back in the bath?

"I'm usually in charge of maintenance of the fuel tanks. I received education for that."

"Ara, sou. So you are not in charge of the baths."

"No, it's my first time working here at the bath. I have never been called to my lord's bath."

"The other vassals wash the baron's back?"

"Yes."

That is quiet lot of information to notified Natsuki, Shizuru decided.

"How many people are in this manor?" Shizuru change the topic.

"There are about fifty people here. But, I have never really counted. If you are interested you should ask…."

"Ara-ara, that's okay." Shizuru stop her. "How many are Hime?"

"One. Our lord's mother. Her sister has been in Kruger Kingdom for a long time now."

"Ara, it sounds like a lonely place."

"It's true that we do lack excitement here. But we live peacefully, and no one is really dissatisfied."

"Excitement..ne. I suppose I'm just something exciting to you all."

"Not at all!" she seemed shocked. "It is the highest honor we can have to welcome Your Grace. Please don't think of it as just being excitement."

Shizuru grew tired of sitting in the bath. And it also lonely without Natsuki around. Shizuru stood up.

"So beautiful….." Arika sighed, awestruck by Shizuru's beautiful skin and fine bodylines.

Shizuru ignored her compliment. _I wish Natsuki is here awestruck with my beauty just like her._

Arika brought a bathrobe to Shizuru. The drops of water on her skin were absorbed by it. Once she left the bath, a female vassal older than Arika carried a large pile of bathrobes and bath towels. Shizuru grew weary. "Ara?does this place not have a body dryer?"

"Our lord believes that that is a savage tool." The older vassal replied, and wraped a towel around Shizuru.

A new problem awaited Shizuru once all of the moisture was soaked off of her body and hair. "Where is my nobility robe?" she frowned after looking at the change of clothes they had prepared for her. She set aside the matter of underware, but there was a problem with what to wear above. A cloak, dyed in a beautiful green, decorated with ruby, gold, emerald and other jewelry was prepared. It looked to be of good taste, and obviously expensive.

"We are currently washing it." The baroness's vassal replied.

"Ara-ara..that trouble me. I should wear my nobility robe all time." Shizuru put a trouble face.

"I'm sorry, Your Grace. Our Lord said that a formal robe would be unattractive for dinner tonight. Also, it's improper."

"Unattractive, ne…" She didn't mind someone called the robe unattrative. This isn't time to be attractive. Being attractive is useless in the middle of war and they should hurrily rejoin their fleet.

"Kannin na, Arika. But I must wear my formal robe." She declared.

"Your Grace, please…" Arika got down on her knees and pleaded.

Ara? I think they're mistaken something. They should kneal infront of Natsuki, not her.

"Then.." Shizuru compromised . "I'll wear the cloak over my innner robe. Would you please send the out layer of my uniform to my room?"

"Okay, Your Grace." The vassal said while picking up her underwear. Of course the female vassal doesn't permit Shizuru to touch her clothes. She put the garments on Shizuru as she stood like a tree.

"You very good at this." Shizuru was impressed despite herself.

"I'm used to it." Arika said.

"Used to it? Ara! Do you constantly do this?"

"Yes, Your Grace. You must have servants as well in you manor."

Talk about servant, Shizuru never had one. She never been to her manor. All of her life had been in Sora and in dormitory where she done averything herself. But, maybe, Natsuki sure does has many servants served under her family. Shizuru mind start to remind her about Natsuki. Sure Natsuki facing same problem right now. Or maybe she busy inspecting her ship with one of the vassal.

Once she got dressed, or more accurately once she finished dressed her, Arika picked up jewelry box and wolked over. "Here are the ornamentations." A satin red cloth was laid over the box, and various precious gems glittered in the box as if competing to see which was brightest.

"Your Grace, please pick whatever you'd like." Arika said.

Shizuru narrowed her eyes. Once again, the most important thing were missing. "Ara, what did you do with my headpiece and wrist computer?"

"Our Lord said they were unattractive…"

"Ara, ma..but I need them. I would be in trouble if I don't have them." Shizuru said disappointedly with troubled face.

"I..I..understand, Your Grace, Pardon my ignorant." Arika panicked and quickly brought the formal headpiece and wrist computer. Unlike the Hime, although the headpiece are just a decoration for grounder, it show the grounder status and as a proved that they are with the Hime. The headpiece look same as any other nobility Hime's headpiece minus the data link rings that connected to Hime's spatial sense.

Shizuru put her headpiece on and clasp the wrist computer. They took her directly to the dining hall from the bath. The floor was pale blue. The wall and ceiling showed glittering stars. Holographic fish swam here as well. What a horrible taste, she decided.

Shizuru headed towards the table at the center of a large room. The Baroness of Aswad already sat at the table, dwarfed by the size of the room. Scantlily clad female vassals stood by her side. The food not arrive yet, there was just two crystal glasses sitting on the table. There was only one empty seat. The baroness stood up, and greeted Shizuru with a bow.

Shizuru stopped near the dinner table and asked the baroness. She felt uneasy crept in her heartn. "Where's Natsuki?"

"Natsuki?" The baroness raises her head. "Oh, you mean the Flyer trainee. My vassals and mother is entertaining her."

"Why is your mother not joining us?"

"Hmm…my mother does not like being around people."

"Ara-ara, you're contradicting yourself. Why would she entertain a guest if she does not like being around people."

"Hmm..those with the same mind seek each other out, I suppose."

"Ara, what do you mean?" the comment bothered Shizuru.

"Please don't let it bother you."

"I can not. I have to be with Natsuki all the time. We have unfinished mission together."

"You Grace," the baroness raised an eyebrow, "Are you suspecting us of harming that Trainee or asking her go without you from here?"

"How can I not?" Shizuru suspecting.

"That is unfortunate." The baroness said, in a tone that hardly sounded disappointed. "Anyways, please sit. Allow me to resolve your misunderstanding while we eat."

"Ara, I really hope that it really is a misunderstanding, baroness."

The waitress was already waiting with Shizuru's seat pulled out. Shizuru sat down. The baroness also sat after making sure she seated.

"What wine would you like with yur dinner tonight?" tha baroness ask.

"I'm sorry, but I can't tolerate alchohol much."

"Well then, would green tea be alright?" the baroness snaped her fingers after she saw Shizuru nod. The waitress whispered instructions into the microphone by her mouth.

"Then," the baroness began as they waited for their drinks. "Your Grace, you call that young trainee by her first name? Then would you please kindly call me Tomoe as well?"

"Ara. I think I cannot do that, baroness." Shizuru said without a moment's pause.

"Why not?"

"Because it's not in my power to do so. Even if it is, I do not wish to call you so."

The baroness silenced, and stared at Shizuru with narrow eyes. A female vassal arrived with a teapot and flask on top of a tray. The waitress took the teapot and carefully filled Shizuru's cup with it. She then poured wine from the flask to the baroness's cup.

The appetizers were brought to the gloomy dinner table. Delicate grounder cuisine was brought on a black square dish with pale flowers drawn on.

"Please eat."

"Yes." Shizuru took the wooden chopsticks and brought what appeared to be tree leaf to her mouth. The taste of clam spread through her mouth. "Ara, it is good."

"I'm honored, Your Grace."

"Ma-ma..I didn't complementing you." Shizuru said coldly. "I compliment the chef. You had a person instead of a machine make this, didn't you?" That satisfied Shizuru. _Ara, this is just the beginning. I will make sure you taste every venom I gave you for being discourteous toward My Natsuki before.. Ara, did I just said My Natsuki?_

"Good observation, Your Grace. I do not like machines very much. That set aside, it seems that You Grace is in abit of a foul temper."

"Ara, very good observation, baroness. I am angry." Shizuru replied with venomous smile. Although Shizuru could bring out her façade, she did not do so. She just let all her anger show on her face.

"Are you that displeased with my welcome?"

"Did you think I would be?" Shizuru stopped, reaching her chopsticks out to the flower shaped dish, and smile her venom at the baron.

"Why may I ask?"

"You have not resolve my 'misunderstanding'. If it is a misunderstanding that is."

"oh, concerning that Hime girl."

"She not just any girl!"

"Is she?" the baroness raised her left brow.

"Not just concerning Natsuki, does the ship needed a checkup? Do you really not have any fuel here? I..we have many suspicions concerning you."

"Oh.. I've been founded. I was lying about that." The baroness said frankly. "We have plenty of fuel, and we are not checking the ship."

"Why did you lie?"

"You would not have come had dinner with me otherwise."

"Of course not, we are in hurry."

"Then, it was correct of me to lie to you."

"Ara, Really? I hate being lied to."

"I can understand that."

"Now that I have discovered you lie, will you let me see Natsuki. We will leave immediately."

"About that, Your Grace." The baroness drowned the rest of her wine "I'm afraid I can not. I must have you remain here no matter what."

"Until when?"

"hmm..sa..dunno. Maybe until the enermy leave this territory, or the allies come save this territory. But, If you like, for the rest of your life."

"What? You plan on keeping us here?"

"You..only you, not that Hime girl. I can let that Hime go and ask her to leave without you"

Shizuru leaned back. Now that she know that the baroness not targeting Natsuki, she was more curious than angry. What exactly was this baroness plotting?

"Just so you know, I am not planning a rebellion toward empire." Said the baroness.

"Where is Natsuki?"

"The flyer trainee is with my mother…"

"Stop it with your lies, Baroness of Aswad, I told you that I hate being lied to."

"I see." The baroness leaned back. "She's not worthy of a nobility welcome. So I locked her up somewhere in this manor. Would you like to see her?"

Shizuru narrowed her eyes dangerously when a screen come alive infront of them. On the screen was Natsuki. A chime rang and it alert Natsuki to reach for the communicator.

"Shizuru?" she has a surprise look on her face.

"Natsuki…" just by seeing Natsuki not being harmed relieve her.

"Shizuru, are you alright?"

"Yes, Natsuki. Don't worry about me." Shizuru had a smile on her face.

"That good. It seem that I cannot open the door of my room no matter how I tried. Maybe I pushed the wrong code, or it's not compatible with my wrist computer." Natsuki had a confused look on her face. Maybe she didn't realized being lock up in the room.

"I'm sorry to disturb your reunion but, I must say, I cannot let you out of there." The baroness interrupted.

"What!? What are you trying to do, Your excellency?"

"I want Her Grace to stay here with me. If you cooperate with me, my vassal will open your door and lead you toward your ship."

"I can not. My duty is to take Shizuru…..Her Grace the successor to the Count of Kiyohime back to capitol."

"Well, it seems I just have to lock you up until you agree."

"Listen, baroness. You have a territory you need to protect, and I have a mission I need to complete. My mission is to deliver Shizuru to capitol safely. If anything were to happen to Shizuru, I will not forgive you."

"I don't understand." The baroness shook her head. "Why do you care so much about us a grounder? You are just merely a killing machine in the form of organism called Hime. Nothing but a cruel killing machine, you soldier. Just go alone to battlefield and leave us grounder"

"You are also citizen of Hime." Natsuki glared at the baroness with anger in her eyes. "you must know the sanctity of a Star Forces mission. On top of that, this is my first mission. I intend on completing it, even if I have to cause your territory to burn in flames."

"I really can't let you cause my territory to burn in flames nor that I let Her Grace go with you." The baroness said confidently. But it was clear to her that the baroness confidence was forced.

"I see." Natsuki lips twitched.

The Hime do not smile when they are supposed to, and sometimes smiles when it is completely unexpected. At least that what those who hate Hime believe. It is a terrible misunderstanding. The Hime do smile when they're happy, and they smile when they are having fun. But there is a reason behind their misunderstanding. The Hime also smile when they absolutely despise person before them. This smile is accompanied with a death glare of the green pupils that could burn the flame itself. This glare is too cruel to be called a cold glare, and bears some resemblance to a beautifully blooming poisonous flower. A mix of poisonous smile and death glare, added with a mix of contempt and challenge, an expression unmistakably different from that of friendship. Their enemies called this the 'cold glare of a Hime' and loathed it.

"Now, I have a reason to destroy you too." The glare of the Hime glinted on Natsuki bright green eyes. _Badumm!_ The glare burning wildly that it burn Shizuru heart to see that beautiful eyes with such a pasionate radiance color. Shizuru clamped her hand on her chest.. _what was that? It hurt._


	18. Chapter 15 Escape

**Chapter 15 – Escape**

Shizuru awoke. Her head felt heavy. It was as if mud was running through the veins in her head instead of blood.

_Where am I…._

Her memories returned to her slowly. When the last communications with Natsuki been cut, the baroness clapped her hands and said something. Then, something pressed against her neck from behind. She didn't have time to shout or resist. Her consciousness faded immediately and…..

_Damn that baroness._

Though it was her vassals who carried out the order, the baroness must have given it. They must have drugged her with a hypospray.

Shizuru got up. She felt anger towards the baroness, but she was more worried about Natsuki's well being. "Oh, young lady you've come to." A voice sounded next to her.

When Shizuru look towards the direction of the voice with caution, a beautiful Hime women with cloak of a noble stood there. She had strong build and seemed relaxed. Her eyes glint with light green pupils, unlike Natsuki dark forest green orbs.

"Ara, who are you?"

"Young lady, you should name yourself first before asking others for their name."

She was right. "I'm The successor to the Count Fujino of Kiyohime System, Shizuru."

"Successor to the count? Oh! But you don't look Hime to me."

"Ara?" The person talking to her definitely a Hime. Then, she is the baroness mother.

"I take it you are the former baroness of the Aswad, are you?"

"Right guessing there. I was the second Baroness of Aswad and mother of the current baroness, the Former Baroness Sugiura of Aswad System, Aoi "

"But, the current baroness is grounder? How's that…"  
"It's a long story. Actually, she is not my genetic daughter. There's none of my genetic information in her body."

From what the former baroness told Shizuru, the current baroness is a child of her lover. Her lover was being abuse by her ex-husband, thus she rescued her. She was pregnant the child when she decided to take them into her family. Later, the second child was born into the baroness family which have both of their genetic information and also a Hime. Tomoe being different from her sibling decided to take her mother's family name, the Marguerite, and secluding herself from the Hime society by taking the teritorry of Aswad.

"Where is Natsuki?" Shizuru start to panicked once she realized they were the only one there.

"Natsuki?"

"Don't pretend that you don't know who I'm talking about!" Shizuru raised her voice.

"Calm down young lady. No, Your Grace the successor to the Count Fujino. It seems my daughter did something to you, but I have no idea what is going on."

"You don't know what's going on? That's…"

"Not impossible. Look, I'm imprisoned here too. How can I know whats your problem is?"

"Ara,Imprisoned?"

"Yes, imprisoned. I live without any worries, but I'm not free to leave this place. What would you call it if not imprisonment?"

"Then, tell me..where's Natsuki…. I mean, am I the only person who brought in? was there another girl before me?"

"Girl? No, it was just you. Is that girl your girlfriend?" Shizuru ignored the Hime's question. If Natsuki was not imprisoned here, then the room she saw on the screen before was somewhere else.

"Where is my wrist computer?"

"I don't know. I don't have it. If it's missing, then my daughter took it."

"Do you really not know what's going on?" Shizuru questioned.

"No, I don't, sorry." Said the Hime. "To tell you the truth, I don't even know where I'm being imprisoned. I haven't been told anything."

"But, isn't the baroness you daughter?"

"That's why, I supposed. It's dissatisfied that she is genetically grounder when I am clearly a Hime. So, she's trying to keep me away from the eyes of others, well the vassals I suppose."

"I'm getting even more confused." She touched upon her head, which still hadn't recovered its full capacity. She finally realized that she didn't have her decorative headpiece on.

"She has inferiority complex." The former baroness declared.

"She didn't seem to."

"Even if she didn't seem to, she does. I'm her parent, I know. The family of baroness of Aswad has a short history. Her over inflated ego just can't accept that."

"But, you're nobles. You even have territory."

"Though it's a very small territory."

"It may be small, but it's still very high status."

"We do have high status, but we weren't even gentry until just three generations ago. I, myself are the second generation of Hime genetic product, thus make my grand mother wasn't even a Hime. And to worst it all, she's not even a Hime to begin with. That bother her, and she may be trying to lie to herself about it. She probably can't bear to see her Hime mother."

"This is starting to sound familiar to me."

The former baroness grinned. "The only thing I've been thinking about since I've been imprisoned is where I went wrong in raising her. I had plenty of time. I'll give you some pointers in raising a child of your own if you'd like."

"Later, maybe." It would be long time before Shizuru had a child of her own. Though they may be very good advice, there are more important things to do right now than learn the ways of parenting. "We have to get out of here right now."

Shizuru tried to get off the bed, and almost collapsed. Her feet were wobbly. The drug still hadn't totally worn off.

The former baroness caught Shizuru, and placed her back on the bed. "Don't strain yourself, Your Grace the Successor to the Count."

"Please stop calling me 'Your Grace the successor to the Count' it doesn't sit well with me."

"Seems like you have a lot of things to deal with, young lady" the former baroness accepted Shizuru requested immediately.

"Yes."

"But still, the Count! You're a Lord. Your mother or grandmother… or maybe someone other than that, I don't know, but to become a count straight from citizen, whoever it is did a good job."

"It was my father. My father wasn't even a citizen of empire. Really, he certainly did a good job…."

"Oh really, why don't tell me your story?"

"Kannin na, but…"

"You'd rather not talk about it. I'm getting even more interested now. But, I can't force you to since you don't want to. Oh well, but why don't you take a bath? You let out quite a bit of sweat while you were asleep."

"Later. I already take a bath before I was sent here. We have to escape…"

"You can't right now. Maintain your hygiene, and eat a meal. We'll think about how to deal with your problem after that. I may be of help to you"

"You…?" she didn't feel like accepting the hand of help that was offered to her.

The former baroness seem trustworthy. But considering their gap in experience, fooling Shizuru was probably as easy as taking off shoe to her. Besides, would she really be able to help even if she was truly willing? Didn't she just said that she was imprisoned here?

"Dipping in some warm water is not a bad idea at least. I won't do anything. If I want to, I would have done so already."

"But I don't have time!" a horrifying thought crossed Shizuru's mind. She worried about Natsuki. What would happened to Natsuki since they separated. "How long was I unconscious?"

"It's been…." The Hime looked at her wrist computer, "about four hours since you were brought in here. I don't know what you're in hurry about, but you must have another hour or two spare. Otherwise you're already too late."

Four hours….

They do have plenty of spare time before the enemy fleet arrives. But, what is Natsuki doing? It may have been plenty of time for the baroness to carry out any plots.

"Could I see that wrist computer for a second?" She memorized the number for Natsuki's wrist computer in case of emergency. If Natsuki had her wrist computer on, and was within a light second of her, she should be able to get in touch with her.

"Of course." The former baroness took the wrist computer off and passed it to her. Shizuru was disappointed. The former's baroness's wrist computer was just a clock.

"Anoo.. is there a communicator here?"

"Just one"

"Could I see that for a moment?" Shizuru requested immediately.

"I don't mind but it can only communicate with the manor control room. You probably want to talk to that girl, but you'll have to have them call her to the manor control room. Do you think they will do that?"

Shizuru shook her head in disappointment. Establishing a friendly relationship with the baroness vassalls at this point is hopeless.

"See?. Go take a bath." The former baroness spoke as if pleading with a stubborn child. "refresh your head, then eat. Get some strength. We can caryy out any conspiracy we want after that."

"You're right. Ookini." Shizuru agreed disheartened.

She would probably need some strength.

Unlike Shizuru, after short rest, Natsuki's mind was at full capacity. Though it was a short nap, she felt strength even down to the tip of her fingers. She gently pushed the soft and warm blanket to the side and stood up in the dark.

"Light on" she whispered, and the lights come on. Natsuki sighed with a relief as she checked the time with her wrist computer. Usually she took her headpiece and wrist computer off when she went to sleep, but tonight she feared getting it taken away while she slept, so keep it on. She was asleep for about four hours. The baroness has done me this one good thing. It would be hard to do anything if she was tired. The vassals also send her some food to eat, though the food are just a pallets without flavour but it still can give her strength. She turned her thoughts back to the baroness again, and the anger flowed back. She getting in the way of her mission was more than enough reason to be angry, but she didn't stop there. The sad look of Shizuru eyes on the screen indicate that Shizuru also displeased with the baroness for some reason. Maybe they threatened Shizuru, even worst harm her in any way. That's not good. I have to get out of here and find Shizuru before anything happen to her. I have to calm down and find my way out.

But she was at her limit…..

It was worth escaping from here just to teach the baroness her place. Natsuki put her uniform on. _Okay, first, where's Shizuru?_

She had to find that out. Natsuki turned her wrist computer on and tried to connect to Shizuru's wrist computer.

"The wrist computer you have tried to reach is not in the possession of its owner." The wrist computer beeped at her. _That's odd. I though I've seen Shizuru wear it on the screen before. It would only mean that the baroness took away Shizuru's wrist computer._

"Humph." Natsuki cut the wrist computer off. That baroness seem to wished completely cut off her connection to Shizuru. Natsuki turn her wrist computer on again and then download latest report from Shizuru's wrist computer to trace her location. The search failed. Reading the report, the last time Shizuru turned on her wrist computer was four hours ago, that mean during the communication between the baroness.

The next step. She turned the terminal in the bedroom and called up a diagram of the manor. Seem the baroness forgot to blocked this room from the manor A.I. There were three floors to the main body of the baroness's manor. It was separated into sections like living areas, administrative areas, storage, hydrophonics gardens, and cloning range.

"Display my location." Natsuki ordered the terminal. A sign displaying "diagram of second floor" popped up and a room near the center turned red.

"Tell me where the baroness's bedroom is." Natsuki ordered the terminal. A room in the third floor above Natsuki's turned red. "What about another guest bedroom?" Twenty other room on the same floor as Natsuki's turned red.

"Which ones are in use?" Only one remained red, the one Natsuki inhabited.

"Is there anyone being imprisoned?" Natsuki asked without expecting much of a reply.

"I don't understand the meaning of the question."

Just as expected, the terminal did not give an answer.

"Display the name and location of everyone currently in the manor."

"I cannot do that without the permission of my master. Would you like to request her permission? Unfortunately my master is currently sleeping. So, she would not be able to permit it until tomorrow morning…"

"No, that's okay." She cut the terminal off.

This is troublesome. It was mistake to leave their weapons back in the ship. Though the baroness probably would not have let them bring it into the manor.

Then, I'll just go get it now.

Natsuki immediately decided. According to the clock on the wall of the room, it was night in the manor. Chances of bumping into a vassal were low. She knew where the communication ship was, the problem was whether she could get there or not. Another problem is how to escape this room without ringing an alarm.

"Can I enter the spaceport? Are there any pressurized passages leading to the communications ship there?"

"Yes."

"Are they locked?"

"They are not locked, but you need a registered electromagnetic key to cross it."

"Is my electromagnetic key registered?"

"No."

"Can I register it now?"

"I cannot do that without the permission of my master. Would you like to request her permission? Unfortunately my master is currently sleeping…."

Natsuki didn't bother to listen to the rest. "Whose electromagnetic key is registered?"

"My master's and that of all the vassals. The name of the vassals are…"

"No don't." Natsuki stopped it, expecting it to read off the names of all fifty of them. Lets try going there. Natsuki decided.

The situation didn't seem very good, but nothing could be accomplished by thinking alone in the locked bedroom. She brought up the diagram of the manor, and uploaded it into her wrist computer.

All prepared. Now time to hacked the door. But, she paused just as she was about to connect her wrist computer into the door terminal. Something was bothering her.

What is it?

She realized what the problem was after racking her brain for a moment. Reading the last report from Shizuru wrist computer again, there should have been another inhabitant in the manor other than the baroness and her vassals.

Natsuki turned the terminal on again.

"The baroness's mother should be here right?"

"Yes, Her Excellency the Former Baroness is currently in the manor of the baroness of Aswad."

"The baroness's mother electromagnetic key isn't registered?"

"No. It is not registered."

"Why?"

"It was an order by my master."

"Why did the baroness make that order?"

"I cannot do that without the permission of my master. Would you like to request her permission? Unfortunately my master is currently sleeping…."

"I've heard enough of that line." Natsuki was impatient. "Where is the former baroness?"

A diagram of the third floor appeared. The hydrophonic gardens and cloning ranges took up most of the area. A single passage ran from the elevator through the hydrophonic gardens to an isolated living area. That area blinked red.

"Is there someone else in the section that the former baroness is in?"

"Yes, there is one person."

"What is the name of that person?"

"It is not in my record."

"So, that person isn't a vassal." Natsuki checked.

"No."

Looks like I've found out where Shizuru is. "Will I need a registered key to go to the former baroness's quarters?"

"You will need my master's permission in addition to a registered electromagnetic key. Would you like to…"

"Don't say anymore." Natsuki said gloomily. She had never had an urge to destroy something this great since she was freed of her robotic tutors.

Seems like there's some family trouble in this manor. I'm not interested in that. It's hardly uncommon in a noble family.

She prepared to hacked the door key, but before she link the wrist computer, some idea come to her. Pushing the button on the door "Yes! Is there anything you want? " a voice suddenly sounded.

"Yes. I decided to leave the manor alone. Is there a way to do that without disturbing your lord?"

"Oh! Yes. My lord said that if you have decided to leave the manor immediately, we have to ascorted you directly to the spaceport."

"Then, please do so. I want to leave this manor."

The door open and came a women. She's one of the vassal that serves Shizuru before.

"Come with me." A gun in her hand tells Natsuki not to try to do anything to defy her.

They arrived at the door leading to the passageway to the spaceport. It was the first place that required an electromagnetic key to pass.

"You know. The baroness has refused to allow me to refuel before. That ship can't go anywhere. To top it off, she also currently imprisoned Her Grace the successor to the count of Kiyohime. And the worst is, not just you all as the Hime citizen being ignorant toward a Star Force Officer and their mission, you also ignorant toward the Imperial Kruger family member."

"the Kruger!?" The vassal turned around and examined Natsuki closely. Shocked clearly evidence on her face as she realized who Natsuki was. Her face then turned pale. "You…you.. the..the..K..Kruger!"

Immediately the vassal down on her knees "P..Please forgive me, Your Highness. I've been rude to you and the empire. I didn't realize you were the imperial family and the baroness didn't inform us of you. P..Please spare me"

"You really did not know?"

"No, Your Highness. I didn't realize the "ear of the Kruger" before. Forgive me."

"That's okay. Then, now that you know about me, what are you going to do?"

"What do you mean by what will I do?" the vassal still confused.

"You are a citizen of the empire as well as a vassal of the baroness. Will you pledge your loyalty to the baroness as her vassal, or will you help me in my duty as a citizen of the empire?"

There was a long pause.

"I understand, Your Highness." The vassal finally decided. "I, Yumemiya Arika, will follow Your Highness's orders."

"No…" Natsuki considering explaining to her that she was not ordering her as a princess, but asking for her help as a soldier, but she decided against it. It didn't really matter, instead she just said "Thanks."

"Your words a wasted upon me." Arika stood up and opened the door.


	19. Chapter 16 The Former Baroness

**Chapter 16 - The Former Baroness of Aswad**

Shizuru awoke. Her head felt heavy. It was as if mud was running through the veins in her head instead of blood.

_Where am I…._

Her memories returned to her slowly. When the last communications cut with Natsuki, the baroness clapped her hands and said something. Then, something pressed against her neck from behind. She didn't have time to shout or resist. Her consciousness faded immediately and…..

_Damn that baroness._

Though it was her vassals who carried out the order, the baroness must have given it. They must have drugged her with a hypospray.

Shizuru got up. She felt anger towards the baroness, but she was more worried about Natsuki's well being. "Oh, young lady you've come to." A voice sounded next to her.

When Shizuru look towards the direction of the voice with caution, a beautiful Hime women with cloak of a noble stood there. She had strong build and seemed relaxed. Her eyes glint with light green pupils, unlike Natsuki dark forest green orbs.

"Ara, who are you?"

"Young lady, you should name yourself first before asking others for their name."

She was right. "I'm The successor to the Count Fujino of Kiyohime System, Shizuru."

"Successor to the count? Oh! But you don't look Hime to me."

"Ara!" that surprised her. The person talking to her definitely a Hime. Then, she is the baroness mother.

"I take it you are the former baroness of the Aswad, are you?"

"Right guessing there. I was the second Baroness of Aswad and mother of the current baroness, the Former Baroness Sugiura of Aswad System, Aoi "

"But, the current baroness is grounder? How that…"  
"It's a long story. Actually, she not my genetic daughter. There's none of my genetic information in her body."

From what the former baroness told Shizuru, the current baroness is a child of her lover. Her lover was being abuse by her ex-husband, thus she rescued her. She already bear the child in her womb when she decided to take them into her family. Later, the second child was born into the baroness family which have both of their genetic information and a Hime. Tomoe being different from her sibling decided to take her mother's family name, the Marguerite, and secluding herself from the Hime society by taking the teritorry of Aswad.

"Where is Natsuki?" Shizuru start to panicked once she realized they were the only one there.

"Natsuki?"

"Don't pretend that you don't know who I'm talking about!" Shizuru raised her voice.

"Calm down young lady. No, Your Grace the successor to the Count Fujino. It seems my daughter did something to you, but I have no idea what is going on."

"You don't know what's going on? That's…"

"Not impossible. Look, I'm imprisoned here too. How can I know whats your problem is?"

"Ara,Imprisoned?"

"Yes, imprisoned. I live without any worries, but I'm not free to leave this place. What would you call it if not imprisonment?"

"Then, tell me..where's Natsuki…. I mean, am I the only person who brought in? was there another girl before me?"

"Girl? No, it was just you. Is that girl your girlfriend?" Shizuru ignored the Hime's question. If Natsuki was not imprisoned here, then the room she saw on the screen before was somewhere else.

"Where is my wrist computer?"

"I don't know. I don't have it. If it's missing, then my daughter took it."

"Do you really not know what's going on?" Shizuru questioned.

"No, I don't, sorry." Said the Hime. "To tell you the truth, I don't even know where I'm being imprisoned. I haven't been told anything."

"But, isn't the baroness you daughter?"

"That's why, I supposed. It's dissatisfied that she is genetically grounder when I am clearly a Hime. So, she's trying to keep me away from the eyes of others, well the vassals I suppose."

"I'm getting even more confused." She touched upon her head, which still hadn't recovered its full capacity. She finally realized that she didn't have her decorative headpiece on.

"She has inferiority complex." The former baroness declared.

"She didn't seem to."

"Even if she didn't seem to, she does. I'm her parent, I know. The family of baroness of Aswad has a short history. Her over inflated ego just can't accept that."

"But, you're nobles. You even have territory."

"Though it's a very small territory."

"It may be small, but it's still very high status."

"We do have high status, but we weren't even gentry until just three generations ago. I, myself are the second generation of Hime genetic product, thus make my grand mother wasn't even a Hime. And to worst it all, she's not even a Hime to begin with. That bother her, and she may be trying to lie to herself about it. She probably can't bear to see her Hime mother."

"This is starting to sound familiar to me."

The former baroness grinned. "The only thing I've been thinking about since I've been imprisoned is where I went wrong in raising her. I had plenty of time. I'll give you some pointers in raising a child of your own if you'd like."

"Later, maybe." It would be long time before Shizuru had a child of her own. Though they may be very good advice, there are more important things to do right now than learn the ways of parenting. "We have to get out of here right now."

Shizuru tried to get off the bed, and almost collapsed. Her feet were wobbly. The drug still hadn't totally worn off.

The former baroness caught Shizuru, and placed her back on the bed. "Don't strain yourself, Your Grace the Successor to the Count."

"Please stop calling me 'Your Grace the successor to the Count' it doesn't sit well with me."

"Seems like you have a lot of things to deal with, young lady" the former baroness accepted Shizuru requested immediately.

"Yes."

"But still, the Count! You're a Lord. Your mother or grandmother… or maybe someone other than that, I don't know, but to become a count straight from citizen, whoever it is did a good job."

"It was my father. My father wasn't even a citizen of empire. Really, he certainly did a good job…."

"Oh really, why don't tell me your story?"

"Kannin na, but…"

"You'd rather not talk about it. I'm getting even more interested now. But, I can't force you to since you don't want to. Oh well, but why don't you take a bath? You let out quite a bit of sweat while you were asleep."

"Later. I already take a bath before I sent here. We have to escape…"

"You can't right now. Maintain your hygiene, and eat a meal. We'll think about how to deal with your problem after that. I may be of help to you"

"You…?" she didn't feel like accepting the hand of help that was offered to her.

The former baroness seem trustworthy. But considering their gap in experience, fooling Shizuru was probably as easy as taking off shoe to her. Besides, would she really be able to help even if she was truly willing? Didn't she just said that she was imprisoned here?

"Dipping in some warm water is not a bad idea at least. I won't do anything. If I want to, I would have done so already."

"But I don't have time!" a horrifying thought crossed Shizuru's mind. She worried about Natsuki. What would happened to Natsuki since they separated. "How long was I unconscious?"

"It's been…." The Hime looked at her wrist computer, "about three hours since you were brought in here. I don't know what you're in hurry about, but you must have another hour or two spare. Otherwise you're already too late."

Three hours….

They do have plenty of spare time before the enemy fleet arrives. But, what is Natsuki doing? It may have been plenty of time for the baroness to carry out any plots.

"Could I see that wrist computer for a second?" She memorized the number for Natsuki's wrist computer in case of emergency. If Natsuki had her wrist computer on, and was within a light second of her, she should be able to get in touch with her.

"Of course." The former baroness took the wrist computer off and passed it to her. Shizuru was disappointed. The former's baroness's wrist computer was just a clock.

"Anoo.. is there a communicator here?"

"Just one"

"Could I see that for a moment?" Shizuru requested immediately.

"I don't mind but it can only communicate with the manor control room. You probably want to talk to that girl, but you'll have to have them call her to the manor control room. Do you think they will do that?"

Shizuru shook her head in disappointment. Establishing a friendly relationship with the baroness vassalls at this point is hopeless.

"See?. Go take a bath." The former baroness spoke as if pleading with a stubborn child. "refresh your head, then eat. Get some strenght. We can caryy out any conspiracy we want after that."

"You're right. Ookini." Shizuru agreed disheartened. She would probably need some strength.

"so, then is that Natsuki girl you mention earlier Her Highness the Princess from the Kruger family?"

"Yes." Shizuru nodded.

"I see." The Hime women grinned. "so that's what been going on outside while I was locked away here. That's incredible. My late mother would be ecstatic if she heard all this. To have Her Highness the Princess come… our place in the world certaintly has risen."

While eating her meals, Shizuru had telling the former baroness about how she was accepted into the administrative branch trainee program, abiut how she boarded the cruiser Volash, about how they encountered possibly hostile spacetime bubbles en route, about how they escape on the communication ship piloted by Natsuki and about how they stop here to refuel…

"Ara, please stop joking, Sugiura-san." Shizuru feel a little irritated. "Are you going to help me?"

"Of course I am. I just need let you and Her Highness on the communication ship and let you go off, right?"

"And to refuel."

"Yes, can't forget about the fuel. Would you like some food as well, maybe some wine?"

"Food yes, but a wine is a No. I was getting tired of the food pelletes. But, can you do it?"  
"I think I can. But there's one problem."

"What?"

""I said 'if I can get to a terminal'. My daughter must have had a feeling as to what I could do, there's not a terminal in the imprisoned area."

"I thought the Hime are confident and arrogant being. They never gave up even the chance of success is below fifty percent. What has happened to you, Sugiura-san?"

"What?! I'm not fully genetically Hime, remember. My other genetic donor is a grounder."

"Ara..but I think you just drink alchohol too much that it's start making you lazy."

"What are you expecting from a prisoner? That you two young ones can make an escape of love as soon as I ordered a terminal really quickly? Sorry, young one, the real world isn't that easy. So you can't blame my beloved wine for that."

"Natsuki isn't my girlfriend." Shizuru said. _ara..that feel hurt. Did I eaten something wrong? Hmm.._

"Really? I though you sound quiet dissapointed there."

"That set aside for now. How can we get to a terminal?"  
"We just need to leave the imprisonement area."

"How?"

That's what the two of us are going to be thinking about now. Or else it won't be a plot of conspiracy. You'll be able to face up to Her Highness better later if you worked hard at it as well. Oh yes, young lady…"

"Yes?"

"Are you sure you two aren't in love?"

"Ara. Yes, I'm sure." Though it felt hurt to her to deny the fact.

"You say so, but there aren't very many people in the Empire who can call Her Highness the Princess by her first name. or, do you only do that only when Her Highness isn't around? If that's the case, I'll need to reevaluate my opinion of you."

"Ara..anoo, I…" Shizuru was at a lack of words. "I call her Natsuki to her face too."

"Then you're both in love?"

"Ara, no."

"Wow…that's quite complicated. You both called each other by first name and yet you're not a lover?!. Never in my life has a Hime called another person not their lover by first name."

"Ara?! What do you mean?"

"Well, in Hime society, titles and family name is part of our life. We call each other by family or title name. But when time goes by , we might fall in love with each other, and we became closer more than a friends or counterpart, so, the title only became hindrance to the relationship. Thus the first name basis came in. Other than a close family member, only our lover called using first name."

"Ara?!" that came quiet a shock to Shizuru. Are they already a lover without them realizing about it? But she doubt it in their case. But, what does Natsuki think?


	20. Chapter 17 Traitor

**Chapter 17 - Traitor**

That night, the baroness went to bed alone where usually she would have had a few of her favourite vassals with her. She had lot to think about tonight. The beautiful and elegant frame of the successor to the Countess come into her view. By taking the countess to be, she can make her as a bargaining chip to gain a new territories. The baroness picture herself ruling this little world, her own little kingdom. Shizuru was in that world. The baroness grinned as she poured a cup of apple wine and drink it in a gulp. The countess would be a perfect match for their little world here. Their little kingdom in Aswad. A successor would be necessary for a kingdom, of course. With a little technology here in this manor, they can manage to develop a reproduction machine, and Shizuru could have natural birth since she also a grounder.

Yes, I'll have the Successor to the Countess give birth to my successor. Her fantasy went endlessly fired by her drunken head. Shizuru id indisputable beautiful for a grounder. But Shizuru's beauty still not fully developed. There was plenty of time before she matured into a real women.

The communicator beeped right then.

"what is it!?" the baroness asked as she thought to herself that she would need to yell at them if it was something inconsequential.

"This is Maya from the manor control room. My lord, I apologize for disturbing you during your sleep, but someone has entered the communications ship. What should we do?"

"Oh, so she has decided to leave then. It's okay Maya, just let her go. Just make sure the ship doesn't return to the manor and went straight to the gate."

"Yes, my lord."

The baroness made one miscalculation. The baroness title of nobility sure is a spectacularly honor as a grounder by genetic. By keeping all the grounder in her manor and she the only grounder who held the noble title, could keep the loyalty of her vassal. They look yearningly at the baroness as if she is the Goddess, the King or even the Empress. They could be said to have been in love with her and willing to become her concubine. The time they spent with the baroness is such a precious time that it was something they competed with each other for, But the title was not something that only the baroness had. Many hime that have served long enough in the star force or a nobility born child can have a nobility title. There were some vassals who pledged loyalty to the baroness as a person. They were her partners at night, her lovers, her concubines. But that was not the case with most of the vassals. What the baroness mistook for loyalty to her as a person was actually interest toward the Empire. They were well aware that the baroness was not a special person within the world of the Hime.

Arika was one of them. She looked up at the baroness, and her hobby was to learn about the Hime society. Knowing the said Princess of the Empire was in front of her, she surprised herself that she could even speak without collapsing out of awe. It was probably because everything still seemed surreal to her. Having the next person that might sit in the Jade Throne, the highess rank in the entire universe stood in front of her. Of course, Arika grateful to the baroness that gave her life here in this manor. But Natsuki's words struck Arika's eard with an irresistible force. The fact that can't be deny, the said person could possibly become the ruler of all Hime. Once she settled the conflict that tore her apart inside, Arika began to feel joy in the fact that she could assist the Princess. She took Princess to the landing bay, and waited patiently for her new master by the transport tube. Eventually, Natsuki came down with a new luggage.

"You Highness." Arika greeted the Princess with a bow.

"Vassal Yumemiya." Said Natsuki. "I'd like you to take me to Shizuru. Or perhaps bring Shizuru to me. Can you do that?"

"To the successor to the countess?"

"Do you know where she is right now?"

"I'm sorry but….."

"There's no need to apologize." The princess's tone sounded irritated for some reason. "You words are wasted upon me."

"But you do know where the former baroness is imprisoned, do you not?"

"My lord's mother?" Arika asked. Because she is the only Hime in the manor, she was hiding because she felt shameful of the fact that she cannot go back to their society. "She is not being imprisoned, she is simply isolating herself."

"Then, why is that I can't communicate with her?"

"I'm not sure." Now that she mentioned it, it was strange. Though she never tried to communicate with her before, so she didn't know that it was impossible.

"It doesn't matter if she's being imprisoned or if she's isolating herself. What matters is that Shizuru is with the former baroness. I'd like to get to her."

"I'm very sorry, but that is impossible."

"Because the baroness forbid it?"

"That is part of it. But it is actually impossible to go there without the baroness's permission."

"It is locked?"

"Yes."

"Is there some way to communicate with them?"

"I believe that we could communicate with them from the manor control room, but only a few vassals are permitted there."

"Can we break in there?"

"If you mean without being detect, that's impossible. A few vassals were always in the control room."

"Then. Let us take it over." Natsuki took a weapon out of the pocket of her. "Let's go."

The princess began to run. "we don't have time."

"Yes." Arika ran past Natsuki. There were many doors on the path to the manor control room, so she had to guide her. But Arika hesitated when she came before the first door. Oh, I'm rebelling!

Arika pondered. She didn't think very deeply about it and followed the flow of the princess, but what she was about to do, no what she was doing was rebelling against her lord. She used the electromagnetic key on her wrist computer and opened the door.

"Open." Arika said with her quivering voice, and turned around. "Your Highness."

"What is it?" Natsuki walked past Arika.

She began chasing after Natsuki. "I have a request."

"Say it."

"Now that I have rebelled against my lord, I cannot remain here. Please allow me to join the rank of your highness's vassals."

Natsuki turned around and blinked. Arika feared if she asked too much, "Oh, yes." Said Natsuki. "But, I don't have any vassals."

"I..It can't be." Arika couldn't believe it. It was impossible that a member of the royal family didn't even have one vassal.

"Of course we have many vassals working for the Kruger family. Though my mother is in charge of employment, I will probably be able to do something for you."

"Your mother would be her highness the Queen of the Kruger?"

"Yes." The princess nodded casually.

Arika reconfirmed her loyalty to the princess with the realization that she was of very high status. "But we can't use your skills in my family. You are specialist of propellant tank are you not?"

"Oh, it's an honor." It was unexpected that the princess would remember not only her name btu her line of work as well. Arika was about to cry from happiness.

"Stop that." Natsuki said annoyed.

"What do you mean by that?" Arika quivered in fear of displeasing the princess.

"Never mind." The princess gave up. "Anyways, it may be better for you to go somewhere where you can put your skill to use."

"I'm filled with happiness at the fact that you are concerned over the future of one such as myself. But your highness, I can not longer remain here."

"I understand that." The princess nodded. "I'll make sure that you can leave this place. But I can't promise that you can work at the palace."

"Just those words are enough." She would probably be taken to the city of Hime, Kruger Kingdom. There was another door. The manor control room is right around the corner.

Arika opened excitedly. Though it was insignificant event for Natsuki's life, a major event in the history of the Baroness of Aswad was about to occur.


	21. Chapter 18 Rescue Mission

**Chapter 18 - Rescue Mission**

"Ara!,That's impressive."

"Come now, lady. You're impressed by an everyday device like this? What kind of a planet did you come from?"

"That's not it." Shizuru was irritated. But she still maintain her calm feature. "I wasn't impressed by the device, I was touched by the scenery."

"My apology then, young lady." The former baroness apologized in a tone that sounded hardly sincere.

"But don't you find this scenery strange? We'd have to be above the stratosphere. The sky shouldn't still be blue."

"You'd have to be a grounder to notice that. The Hime seem to have a bit of fantasy concerning that."

"Then is this Hime illusionary art?"

"Yes. This scenery is one of the famous art of the illusionary art. It was accurately reproducing surface scenery by one of legendary artist."

"From back when the wandering time?"

"Yes."

"Then I can't blame the artist."

Back when the Hime wandered between colonies, trading for their livelihood. She couldn't blame someone from that time for not being familiar with conditions on the surface.

"This art named "The Highess Peak", but I would give it a different title." The former baroness said. "Perhaps something like 'The Graceful Pride of the Hime"

_The Graceful Pride of the Hime?_

"The way I see it, nothing illustrate the pride of the Hime better than this art." The older women explained. "It's enough that you're aware of your own pride. There's no need to show it off to others. There's no need to have someone teach you about it either. No matter what you do, you just need to know that you have more pride than anyone else. To look down upon the pride of Her Highness the Emperor. If you know so, then anyone around you seem like they're just there to bolster your pride. I heard that when the Hime deal with people without pride, they're thrown off. No, it doesn't have to be just the Hime's, perhaps that's how pride should be.

The former baroness began pacing through the room.

"But that insolent daughter of mine doesn't seem to understand that! On stead of being the highess peak, she avoids all the other peak, digs a deep trench around herself and is satisfied that he's higher than the trench! Of course the genetic is different, but it doesn't mean to run away from pride. And she must proud of having a Hime race mother who raised her.

Shizuru seem to notice anger in the former baroness's voice. Angering a Hime mean big trouble.

"Anoo.. Your grace the former baroness" Shizuru said to her cautiously. "I'd like to start working on our escape plan."

"Ah, yes." The former baroness sat on the couch as if she was exausted. "But remember this young lady. If you're a Hime, you must raise you child to be proud above all else. But there's no need to tell it to her. It's infectious, if you're around someone like that, you become like them no matter what. Unfortunately, I didn't seem to have been proud enough. I learned what pride of the Hime was by my feel as I naturally born with it, and tried to tell my grounder daughter about it, and this is the result. First be proud of yourself. Then, your pride will appear in your action. Your successor will see that, and learn what the pride of the Hime is though that."

"I'll remember that." It was probably good advice, if ther had a future.

"Can we break through this wall?" Shizuru gently tapped on the wall that showed the illisionary art. The former baroness didn't have any servants, but she has numerous robots. They may be able to break the wall with one of them.

"Even if we could break it, it's probably not the best idea. It would difficult to escape through the cloning range without being seen."

"Ara..I see." She didn't lose hope because she didn't have much hope in the idea to begin with. "Then how do you get your food? From that door?"

"No." The former baroness shook her head. "do you remember the giant refrigerator in the kichen? It was built into the wall. It's built with two layers, every ten days, the entire container moves through the path. Then it comes back filled with food and everyday necessities."

"What id we hide in that container?"

"Unfortunately, it was just replaced yesterday. Even if we have two people now, I doubt it would get replaced any time soo. Would you like to wait?

Shizuru shook her head. "We can't move it from this side?"

"Of course not, I'm being imprisoned here, remember?"

"Ara..ara..very disappointing. Anyway, don't you have any idea? You must have thought about escaping from here before."

"Yes, I have. It was great way to kill time. I've thought about all of your ideas before. That's why I can point out the flaws in them so quickly."

"I was beginning to think that was the case." Shizuru start to think again. "What do you do in case of an emergency?"

"When I get sick? I would contact them on the intercom and have them come here. Though that's never happened before."

"Ara, There's an intercom?" hope came into Shizuru's heart, but it was quickly replaced with despair. "Oh yeah, it's only connected to the manor control room…"

"Yes. They probably wouldn't let you talk to Her Highness the Princess. I used to complained about the food."

"ma..ma..then, how about, one of us pretend to be sick, or we could start a fire.."

"Probably not. I'm a Hime, remember. Hime seldom getting sick for genetic reason. And would my daughter really care whether I'm alive or not?"

They were at a dead end. She couldn't come up with any other ideas. Shizuru though she would try to get her mind off the matter, in hope that new ideas would pop up.

"Don't move!" Natsuki swung her laser pistol around. "The star force is taking control of this location."

Arika stood besides Natsuki with a gun in her hand.

The manor control room was quite large. One entire wall displayed the system, centered about the Aswad system, a varioud numbers and figures scrolled on the other three walls. There were three rows of control panels in the room, and three vassals stationed them.

"What is the meaning of this!?" the vassal, who seem to be in charge, stared at the intruders in surprise. "Flyer trainee and Arika."

"Raise your arms above your head Ers-chan!"

"What are you doing!?" Erstin, who seemed to be the one in charge, stared at Arika in confusion.

"I am a Flyer Trainee of the Imperial Star Force, Her Highness, Duchess of the Wulfaz Kingdom, Princess of the Kruger Imperial, Natsuki Kruger."

"E..ehhh? what?" Erstin seem puzzled and confius.

The other two looked just as confius. They looked at each other, and stared at Arika questioningly. "What's going on? Is she joking?"

Arika just look as serious as the Flyer. "The Flyer Trainee is the Princess of the Hime."

They were hardly putting up a fight. Perhaps the vassals here were unaware of the situation as well. But, Natsuki couldn't back out of it now. She rekindled the hostility that was fading, and declared. "I have conquered the manor control room for the territory of Aswad in order to carry out my mission. Everyone, raise your hands above your head and stand up slowly." The vassals obeyed her.

Natsuki slowly strafed along the wall, away from the door. The baroness could have popped in through the door with armed force at any time.

"E..err…Fl..I mean, Your Highness, pardon us."

"yes, what do you want?"

"Actually, we didn't realize that you are loyalty before. Forgive us. Can you please spare us and swear our loyalty to you. I can see Arika-chan already on your side."

Natsuki turn toward Arika and Arika nooded confirmed that the vassals is on the good side as her.

"Yes, you may. For now, I want you to lock the control room from outside."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

"We have to rescue Her Grace the Successor to the Countess of Kiyohime." Natsuki commanding the vassals. "Can you open the confinement area of the former baroness?"

"Sorry, Your Highness. It's impossible for us to open it remotely from here."

"Then, what about talking to them? That is possible, right"

"Yes. I'll patch you through to them immediately, please give me a moment." it a sound only intercom.

"Is this His Excellency the former baroness of Aswad?" Natsuki asked. But the voice was not that of the former baroness.

"Natsuki!? Is that you, Natsuki?"

"Shizuru!" The strength in her voice surprised even her. "Are you alright!?"

"Ara, yes. What about you?"

"I'm fine. But be careful, the Baroness may go there to check on you."

"Yes. I will. Ookini.. for caring."

"erk..i..iya…I mean..I just..no.. that.." blushing deeply and stuttering.

"I know, Natsuki. But thank you anyway." Shizuru said smoothly that it calmed Natsuki.

"Shizuru, your easiness amazes me."

"..ara..ara.. you certainly are talented at cheering someone up, Na-tsu-ki. What am I supposed to do here? I start to miss my cute flyer trainee. We were imprisoned, and we don't have any equipment here."

Natsuki was irritated, her face start to heat up, but she decide to explained her next plan.

"Can you escape somehow?"

"we've already run out of ideas."

"I expected as much."

"Ma, that's so mean of you Natsuki.." Shizuru voice sounded disappointed. "hmmm…let see…ara..ara..No, I can't think anymore."

"Then, I have no choice. Wait for me there, Shizuru! Make sure you find anything that can become a weapon for your defense."

"Ara, we….try…" Shizuru glance at the former baroness.

"Urggghhh…Shizuru..you have to, in case the baroness reach there before me!"

"Alright.. alright…calm down, Natsuki. I'll be fine."

"I AM calm! And you're so calm about this. Your life in danger for Hime sake!" Natsuki raising her voice.

"A..ara..I trust Natsuki will come to rescue me so…. I'm so happy."

"I..I..stop teasing me...wait there, Shizuru, I come as soon as I can!"

_Badum!_

Hearing Natsuki voice over the intercom make Shizuru heart beating fast, but knowing that Natsuki is safe make herself felt dizzy. Knowing that Natsuki will come to rescue her, make her felt happy, but at the same time she felt want to cry.

_Strange. What happen to me?Natsuki…_

_Badum!_

"Natsuki…."

_Ara..my chest hurt…_

One lone tear tried to escape her eye.

From her behind, the former baroness didn't miss any single things from that brief communication.


	22. Chapter 19 A Little War

**Chapter 19 - A Little War**

"Arika, do you know a passageway to the room where former baroness imprisoned?"

"Yes, Your Highness. I am not assigned there, but I have done chores there in the past, so I know my way around."

"Then, you will come with me…and Erstin, can you monitor the baroness and other vassals from here?"

"No problem, Your Highness. You can trust me.I will inform you immediately if the baroness and other vassals detect our actions"

"Good. I would like to have the number to your wrist computer." Natsuki recorded the number for Erstin's wrist computer to her own.

"Then, Arika, lets head towards the former baroness room."

"Oh, Your Highness! What an honor that is….."

Just as expected, Arika seemed like she was about to collapse in tears of joy having fight beside the princess of the kingdom.

What would Shizuru do at a time like this? Natsuki blankly thought to herself. No, this isn't the time to be thinking about something blanky.

"Erstin, I leave the control room to you."

Once the door open, they both run through it toward the next corner.

-

"Arika. Hurry up!"

"I'm trying here. The combination key is difficult. Erstin, can you please help me here!"

"What!?..I already told you the combination key. Wait.."

Before they both can act further, the princess fired her laser gun at the key slot. The siren start to ring alerting everyone in the manor of the intruder.

"Your Highness!"

"What!?.. you took too long to open this."

"But…." Arika cannot continue when the princess start to glare at her. "g..gomen.."

Once the door opened, Natsuki lunged toward and start to panic when she didn't see Shizuru around.

"Shizuru." _….silence…_

"Shizuru!"_… silence…._

"SHI… oooffffftt… Hey, don't jump on me!"

"Hahahaha…Natsuki! You came to rescue me!" Shizuru pounced and hugging Natsuki happily.

"Yeah..I came. Now..get up! I can't… breath..grrr"

"Ara..ara.. I though Natsuki happy to see me." Shizuru touch Natsuki's cheek. A blush appeared on said surface.

"Yeah, I'm happy, but.. we have to hurry. Can't you hear the siren?"

Grabing Shizuru's hand, they both run again. But this time toward the docking port.

The air seems thin and their lungs felt like it can burst anytime. Not far behind them are the vassals and probably the baroness herself.

"Another corner and you reach the last door to the port, Your Highness" Erstin quiet voice inform the princess through the wrist computer.

"Yes. Shizuru, just another corner. Come on!"

The door to the docking port opened. Natsuki immediately aimed her pistol towards the door.

"So this is where you have been, Your Grace!" The baroness rushed in. A few vassals followed her in. She saw the gun pointed at her, and backed away in surprise.

"You've come at just the right time, Baroness." Said Natsuki.

"What are you doing, protect me!" the baroness suddenly yelled at the vassals who were following her. They raised their arms, and formed a wall between the baroness and Natsuki.

"I can't believe this!" Arika cried out. "You dare point a gun at Her Highness the Princess!?"

A few vassals look at Arika questioning her.

"Didn't you know? She is Her Highness, Duchess of the Wulfaz Kingdom, Princess of the Kruger Imperial, Natsuki Kruger"

Hearing from Arika they look at the flyer from head to toe and their eyes widened realizing the truth in Arika words. The vassals were visibly disturbed by the knowledge.

"Arika, you traitor!" The baroness pointed at Arika, and opened her mouth as to give an order. Natsuki immediately stepped in front of Arika.

"Citizen Yumemiya Arika is under my protection."

"Oh, Your Highness, I am honored beyond belief." The highly emotional voice of the vassal sounded behind her.

The baroness's face grimaced. "How can this happen!? This can't be happening!" The baroness stomped on the ground. "You, shoot her!"

"No!..I…I'm sorry. I can't do it." Another vassal jointed on Natsuki side.

"Arika, let me be with you. Princess, I swear my loyalty to you."

"Yayoi!" Arika happily cheering up.

"Are you quite done, baroness?" Natsuki put pressure on the trigger. "You shall step aside the door by the count of three."

"No!" The baroness shouted.

"My daughter. Do what she said!" another figure come in front of the baroness.

"Mother…" the word escape the baroness mouth more like a sneer.

"Step aside." Those word more like a cold command from the former baroness.

"Miya!" The baroness shouted and ducked away.

Natsuki hesitated for a moment. The one moment was more than enough time for the Baroness to get away. The moment that she regret for not press the trigger. The moment she will remember her whole life. And those few moment, a shot rang throughout the manor.

"Natsuki!"

Shizuru didn't think twice as she lung in front of Natsuki. Determined ruby eyes flashed brightly, chestnut hair flew sadly in the air. Time seem to slow down. Emerald eyes widen. No word escaping from Natsuki. Everything silence. Limp body slump on the ground.

"….a…..a…." a mouth stutter trying to form a speech. "Shi…Shi…wha.."

Her hand start to tremble. Eyes felt burn but the tears didn't come. Another body crash urgently to the limp body hugging tightly protecting it. A cough escaping from the hug. Arika, the former baroness and Yayoi immediately stand in front protecting both from the baroness.

"Shi…shizuru..what…why…" eyes searching for answer. But immediately glare coldly at the the person holding the gun. A Hime death glare. "You!.." before she could finished her word, the girl drop her gun and slouch to the ground. Fear evidence on her face. "Miya, shoot her! Not the countess."

Miya just froze there unable to do anything. "You're useless." Another shot rang. Blood spluttered from the vassal head. The baroness spit, and glared challengely at the princess. But the princess knew better that Tomoe inwardly frightened.

"Tomoe. I swear I'll kill you" Natsuki raise from her feet but she was stop by a hand. Shizuru was grabbing her uniform. "No, Natsuki. Don't." shallow breath escaping her mouth.

Grabbing Shizuru hand, Natsuki look intensely at Shizuru. Another hand craddle Natsuki's cheek smoothly. Eyes look reasuring that everything will be fine. _Yes, now I understand all those pain. I don't want to lose you. I don't want to apart from you. My lovely princess._

Tomoe took that time to escape and get away with another ship nearby leaving her vassals behind. The vassals realize they have been deserted by their lord drop their weapons and surrender unable to do anything without their lord's order. If she had actually shot the baroness, the escorting vassals probably would not have remained quiet. They would probably fight to protect their lord. They didn't stand a chance with but three pistols.

"Your Highness. What shall we do now?"

"Shizuru…Arika, Yayoi. Help me carrying the successor to the count toward my ship." Natsuki reached for her laser pistol. "By the way former baroness, whose side are you on?" though she assumed that the former was in a conflicting position from the baroness, she was not absolutely certain of that. If she was on the baroness's side, she would have take the appropriate measures.

"Her Excellency is on our side." Shizuru guaranteed weakly.

"You Highness the Princess." The former baroness of Aswad closing in. "Apparently, my insolent daughter has troubled you. It would be wonderful if I could help you teach her a lesson for the inconvenience."

"Unfortunately, I can't do that." Natsuki said, with pistol still in her hand. "I will kill her."

"Isn't…." the former baroness raised an eyebrow, "that a little too much, Your Highness?"

"Your daughter has made it impossible for me to carry out my mission. She tried to shoot me and wound the successor to the count. But, you still considered it is too much?" Natsuki pulled the pistol out and swung it around not noticing that the two nobles before her had worried looks upon their faces.

"Ara-ara, that's… too bad." Said Shizuru. She still manage to smile despite her wound.

"Is that all you have to say, Shizuru!?" Natsuki said impatiently. "Can you not give a more proper response? Are you not angry!?"

"I am angry.." Shizuru grimace feeling her wound hurt her.

"You're not good at lying."

"I'm wounded, Natsuki. I'll make sure to be angry about it later."

"Baka!" natsuki look seriously toward former baroness again. " I'm sorry former baroness, but I have to ask for your aid to take care of the successor to the count's wound. Can I trust you, Your Excellency?"

"Yes." A smile appear on the former baroness face. "You can count on me, Your Highness. I try my very best to save your lover's life."

"She..She's not my lover." Natsuki averting her gaze on Shizuru. A blush formed on her cheeks.

_I really am just a luggage, aren't I?_ Shizuru though to herself.

Natsuki looking again at Shizuru's face.

_Natsuki…_

A fond smile on her lips before she stand up. A determine emerald eyes flashing dangerously, and a white fang bared in a snarl. Her ears stand forward.

_My Natsuki….._

"Rest, Shizuru" Natsuki step forward and heading toward her cockpit.

_What are these feeling. The feeling of not want to apart. The feeling of loneliness when you look elsewhere…_

Shizuru grabbing her chest. _Ara-ara, looks like I hurt pretty badly from that shot_.


	23. Chapter 20 The Way of The Hime

**Chapter 20 - The Way of The Hime**

_Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! _Regret tore at the Baroness of Aswad's heart. _Why I didn't take more caution!?_ The flyer shoud just leave here quietly. She should have sent the flyer trainee herself, or she should have killed the flyer. Her thoughts now wandered to those of the vassals that had betrayed her. _How can be so trusting of the empire? Didn't they realize that the empire might abandon this territory? They should swear their loyalty to me only! A Hime cannot be trusted._

_I should just blow all of them in the manor and escape to the nearby territories. Doesn't care whether it's the United Mankind or the Empire. If it's the United Mankind, I can sell the information regarding the Hime, if it's Hime then, I just inform them my territories had been attacked by the United Mankind._

And evil laugh resound inside the cockpit of the ship.

The communications ship was now accellerating, Shizuru was forced to sit leaning on the wall separating the airlock from the cockpit, looking up at the two vassals and the former baroness. There was nothing she could do. Natsuki was busy flying the communication ship. The former baroness had caught up on the twenty years technology gap in an instant, and she was now toying with the computer on the communication ship.

"You Highness." The former baroness called Natsuki. "We're in a bit of trouble."

"What"

"My daughter seem to have boarded an interstellar transport."

"is that transport armed?"

"I'm not sure." The old noble replied uncertainly. "I haven't been involved in the management of the territory in a long time. Oh yes, wait a second, I'll try to get information on it from the A.I" the former baroness's finger flashed on the keyboard, and she stared at the readouts momentarily.

"A type Valkryie 947, made at Schwartz Kingdom. It is specially equipped with two Point 40 Lasers."

"Can we take control of it from here?" said Natsuki.

"Probably not. She has disconnected the ship's A.I from the manor's A.I grid."

"Oh." Natsuki stared at the displayed of the ship that the former baroness sent on her screen.

"Former baroness. I may have to kill your son after all."

The expression that appeared on the former baroness's face was subtle, and hard to read. After a moment he quietly muttered, "I suppose it can't be helped."

"But" Shizuru chimed in, unable to bear it. "Is this communications ship armed? I thought you said it was unarmed."

"No, it's not armed."

"Th-then…" Shizuru was speechless. It wasn't a matter of whether they should kill the baroness or not. If the baroness's ship was armed, then they should be worried about getting killed. "Why are you so confident?"

"Confident?" Natsuki looked puzzled. She didn't seem to understand what Shizuru was saying.

"This is the typical Hime way of thinking, young lady." The former baroness said with a laugh. "Her Highness the Princess doesn't believe that we will definitely win. She just doesn't see the point in thinking about what to do after we've died. So she's thinking about what would happen if we live, and telling me about it just in case."

"What do you think I meant, Shizuru?"

"Ara-ara…"

The former baroness explained Shizuru's thoughts to Natsuki instead. "Her Grace the successor to the Countess thought that Your Highness had not considered the possibility of our ship getting destroyed."

"Do you take me for a fool?" Natsuki glared at Shizuru. "We don't even have a one in ten chance of winning. You think I didn't know that?"

The fact that they had a chance of winning was a surprise to Shizuru. But, it was still a very small chance.

"But, you're still going to fight?"

"This is very typical too." The former baroness explained. "They would rather gamble on a 10% chance rather than letting go of their enemy. There is no room for debate."

"Is that not to your liking?"

"Not at all, Your Highness. I am a Hime as well. It's natural for us to fight."

"Shizuru?"

"I'm just your luggage, right?" Shizuru gave up. "I have no opinion. But, I would appreciate it if you remember every now and then I'm still alive here."

There were only two interstellar ships in the manor of the baroness of Aswad. One was a transport designed for shipping the propellant from the planets; it was slow and small with one seat. It could barely called a ship. The ship control by the grid and autopilot mode from the manor control room. Another one was the Baroness personal ship, it was named "The lady of Aswad".

Unlike the other ship, "The lady of Aswad" was spacious and armed. Its maneuverality was far higher than other three ship. Both ships are design for grounder, thus there's no spatial sense support on the ship. Natsuki caught the transport ship in her spatial sense. It was headed toward the eleventh plant. It is evidence that the baroness tried to refuel from the plant.

The baroness turned the communicator on."Control tower, do you read me?"

"Yes, this is Erstin responding from the control tower."

"Can you control the eleventh plant?"

"W-well.." Erstin hesitated. "I'm sorry my lord, I cannot allowed you to.. your mother has given out an order and overtake the control tower remotely."

The baroness shut off the communicator without a sound. A radar detect another ship on the grid. It must be the flyer.

Just as I thought, my mother is on their side, and fighting against me… the baroness smiled bitterly. I suppose it would be immature of me to blame her for it. She accelerated her ship further. Shee knew, as a Hime, the Flyer would not negotiate now. She had no intention of surrendering to her either. The ship that the flyer was now on would turn into just another speck of dust around the star Aswad within moments.

That ship maybe just has a flyer trainee girl, a senile old technician and an untrained grounder. A plantation trained vassal would make no different. Compared to that, the baroness was terited decacomander. Though she had no real combat experience, she had great deal of experience in mock battles.

My ship should be more maneuveracle too. There's no way I can lose.

The two small whips closed in on each other. Finally they were a breath away from firing range, a distance where a laser beam can do fatal damage to another ship despite the target's propulsion and space dust, of each other. The baroness grasped the trigger for laser pistols.

"Goodbye stupid flyer…." The baroness whispered. Another evil laugh escaping her lips. She grinned satisfied.

-

Natsuki felt danger.

This isn't simulation.

They hardly ever show it, but even Hime fears death. If that wasn't bad enough, Natsuki also had the burden of four other lives right now. _Damn. I should just leave them on the manor_.

The baroness's ship approached them quickly. We should be in range of his weapons.

Natsuki moved her finger in a complex pattern within the control glove. The eight attitude control thrusters roared, keeping the communications ship constantly moving.

_There!_

The external sensors detect a fragment of laser that diffracted on space dust, and communicated it to Natsuki through her spatial sense. The twin laer beams passed dangerously close to the communication ship. Natsuki changed their bearing immedaitely. The laser beams came again.

It is impossible to detect the beams of death ahead of time because they are traveling at the speed of light. So skirmishes become a battle of intuition. Who will lady luck side with? That is the only thing that determines the victor. For now, luck was on Natsuki's side. But who knows how long that will last.

_Still too far…._

Natsuki closed her eyes, and focused on her spatial sense.

_Just a little, just little more…_

Natsuki waited for the opportunity, while constantly dodging the streams os lasers. There would only be one change, if she missed it, there would not be another. Whe felt her heart pounding rapidly. They could not afford to get hit by a laser beam before the opportunity came.

"Let's go!" Natsuki stopped the main engines and began propelling backwards with a series of complex movements of the control glove.

_Maximum deceleration!_

The stern of communications ship charged at the baroness's ship from an angle. Just before they reached the baroness's line of fire, Natsuki turned the main engines back on.

The baroness caught the gaseous cloud on her screen.

_What are they trying to do?_

The baroness was confident. _Mere exhaust can't harm this ship. It certainly is dense, but I'm sure its temperature is that much lower than normal._

It seemed pointless. Yes, the gaseous cloud from the propellant would shield them from the laser beam, but only for a moment. the exhaust would quickly diffuse, and it would become completely useless once the baroness's ship passed through it. But, the instant she crossed through the exhaust, The Lady of Aswad's outer hull turned white from heat, and the cockpit was flooded with radiation. Her eyes blanked out after a moment of searing pain. She could still hear, and she heard various warning blaring. The baroness realized her own mistake.

Using antimatter as propellant- it was a maxim the Hime had meaning wastefulness. That was exactly what the flyer had done. It was extremely inefficient, but it had just as much effect as a nuclear fusion beam.

"Ahh!" the baroness coughed up blood. The baroness's heart was filled with hatred toward the flyer in the brief moment before she died.

-

The communication ship stopped. It is impossible to fly anymore after the exhaust have been damaged by that last drop of propellent.

"Is it over?" Shizuru looked up toward Natsuki's seat.

"It's over." Natsuki spun around and look at Shizuru face. There was sadness in Shizuru eyes.

"Did you kill the baroness?"

"Yes, I killed her." She was exhausted. Her voice sounded like someone else talking. Natsuki turned around to the former baroness next to her, "I regret your loss, former baroness."

"It's okay, Your Highness. It was war." The former baroness replied as if nothing had happened.

"Regret? That's it?" Shizuru sounded angry.

"What are you angry about, Shizuru?" Natsuki confiused.

"You killed someone, and you talk as if that's…."

"We would have died if I hadn't"

"I know that! To be honest, I'm relieved too. But….can't you…at least….look sorry or…"

"What are you talking about!? Why do I have to look sorry? I simply carried out my duties. If I need to feel guilty for that, I would not have done so to begin with."

"I know that. But, I can't believe that you think so little of a person's life…"

"I don't think little of it all!" It hurt her. She felt angry that Shizuru looked at her as if she was a monster. She felt disappointed.

It seemed as if this Shizuru was someone other than Shizuru. It filled with anger to be called 'Natsuki' by her.

"But you don't seem be troubled by it at all!"

"Why do I have to be troubled by it!?"

"Well…but…if you kill a person, you should feel troubled."

"Will that accomplish anything?"

"No, but…."

"you're not making any sense." Natsuki decided.

"I know that, I know that but…." Shizuru admitted. "But, I think it's only human nature to not be able to remain calm about this. Right now you seem…really cold."

"I never pretended to be warm." Natsuki's tone of voice was quite hostile. Shizuru demand was quite unfair. Why do I have to feel guilty for doing what I supposed to?

"But…mou..Natsukiiii….."

"Stop it, young lady." The former baroness broke in. "There's no need for you to feel guilty about it."

_Oh!_- she finally understood-_it's not me_; _Shizuru was just feeling guilt over this. But…what does she felt guilty about?_

"But, I…"

"You didn't want to see Her Highness kill someone right?" the former baroness said with a laugh.

"See? Shizuru couldn't have seen anything." Natsuki huffed

"It's an expression, Your Highness. She was present when Your Highness took my daughter's life, so she might as well have seen it."

"But why didn't Shizuru want to see it?"

"Ask her yourself."

Natsuki asked Shizuru. "Is what the former Baroness said true?"

"Y..yes..I guess it is." Shizuru looked away, and her cheek turned pink.

"Why?"

"Ara…it's that I…"

"Just so that you know, that was a battle."

"Yes, I know that."

"Is there something wrong with my winning battles?"

"Not at all, thing would have been far worse if we had lost."

"Then why?"

"Umm.. that question's really hard to answer. But…" ruby eyes meet with emerald one.

_Badum!_

Shizuru clenched her chest. _It hurt again! But why? We're already safe right. Natsuki is here with me._

"I don't know. I'm not sure…" Shizuru looked down. "Sorry. I went on and on about things I shouldn't have said. You're in the Star Force, so there's no need for you to feel ashamed about fighting."

Natsuki stared at Shizuru. She still had not answered her question. But, she decided not to follow up on it. After all, it was the Shizuru she knew, who stood before her now.

"I shall forgive you." Natsuki said. "You shall be grateful."

"Huh..yes, thank you." Shizuru exhaled and smile weakly at Natsuki.

"Well," the former baroness turned the communicator on. "Now that that's settled, let's heading back to the manor." The former baroness's tone of voice showed no remorse. As if she didn't feel grief at all that her daughter had just died. But Natsuki didn't miss what the former baroness muttered as she gripped the communicator.

"That stupid daughter…." There was great grief in her voice then.


	24. Chapter 21 The Return Home

**Chapter 21 - The Return Home**

_Stars,_

_Please heed the wish of your short-lived one,_

_Our wish,_

_That is,_

_To end our lives amongst your princesses_

Shizuru stood confused in front of the communication ship in the docking port. "What do you mean we can't use the ship anymore?" shizuru couldn't help but raise her voice.

"I mean exactly what I said." Natsuki explained. "The exhaust has been malfunctioned. So we have to find another way to reach the main fleet."

"How!?" Shizuru still had trouble understanding Natsuki's personality. "How can you remain calm at a time like this?"

Natsuki's brows rose in anger immediately.

"See you're angry!"

"Does my remaining calm really bother you that much?"

"No."

"Then, what?"

"Ara…" Shizuru didn't know either. _Why did Natsuki's calm attitude bother her? A little bit of thinking told her why._

"The both of you." The former baroness broke in, saving Shizuru. "More importantly, what will you do now. Your Highness? Will you go to the main fleet at the Aswad gate anyways?"

"That is my duty." Said Natsuki.

"You may be jumping in during a battle." The former baroness stressed. "Though you've probably though about that. If you wish, you are free to stay here untill things settle down. Though I probably cannot give you the welcome you deserve because of the situation we're in. of course, I won't treat you the way my daughter sis if you choose to stay."

"I thank you for you offer, but…." Natsuki looked at Shizuru suddenly. "What do you want to do?"

"Ara…" Shizuru couldn't decide.

It would be stupid to hurry there when they knew that enemy fleet would arrive first. They may arrive there in the middle of a battle, just as the former baroness said. If the battle ends in a victory for the empire, there would be no need to hurry. If the battle ends in a victory for the enemy….things would be bad.

But, she wanted to leave the territory of the baroness as quickly as posibble. There was no rational reason for it; she just didn't feel comfortable there.

"I'm your luggage right?" Shizuru gave up her vore. "I have no opinion."

"You're rather persistent aren't you?"

"Kannin na, but I don't know what to do." Shizuru confessed. "Well, I think it would be smarter to stay here."

"Oh." Natsuki seened hesitant to decide too. "Then, I will go." Natsuki said desicively. "I was taught to always move forward when I am at a loss as to whether stay still or move forward."

"Ara…" That's not bad. Shizuru thought.

"What will you do?" Natsuki asked, unexpectedly.

"What will I do?"

"If you wish, I'll let you off here."

"You're joking, right?" Shizuru had not even considered leaving Natsuki's side. She felt angry for some reason. "I'm your luggage, so take me all the way to the main fleet."

"Wow..you're angry." Natsuki smiled.

_That's a really happy smile_ – at least, Shizuru thought so to herself.

"Mind if I lend a help, Your Highness." The former baroness interrupted. "You can use one of our interstellar transporter. It's a small automaton but still it can travel through planar space. But, it is unmaneuverability."

"then we have no choice."

"The ship is on right course." Erstin announce through the communicator. "In five minute, I have to cease the communication as the ship enter the planar space. The ship will be in auto-pilot, but, you don't have to worry. I have locate the target ship to dock and sent out the communication wave massege. Therefore, Your Highness, we at the Aswad Control Room wish you luck. May the Empire win the war."

-

We have destroyed what has been designated the 120th supply ship at 38 degrees 10 minutes east longitude, 30 degrees 20 minutes south latitude." Kazuya reported. "And…"

"Please, Head Advisor. Don't bore me with detailed reports like that." Hecto-commander Nao Zhang, high commander of the training division of fleet Julia, shook her command rod before her fascinatingly young beautiful face. Her lime green eyes sneer with playfulness. Although she the high commander of the training fleet, the victory looks like on their side as the commander and many of their senior officer has experience in real combat, and the high commander herself was a commander of reconnaissance division in the last war.

"But commander…." The only new inexperience staff in the Julia fleet is Kazuya. He's a half grounder with modified genes joining the training fleet after graduated from Administration University of Star Forces.

"I'll leave everything concerning the destruction of ground based targets to you."

"But I have to report our progress to you at least."

"You commander said that it's not necessary." Hecto-commander Zhang turned away. "This isn't war…yet. This is just extermination."

I agree. Kazuya also began to regret suggesting this plan.

The heavily armed knights of the sky, the training division Julia could do nothing but destroy the remaining fleet of the enemy. Even if the fleet are the supply ships, but the posibility that the ship could rammed their ship toward Julia is quiet high. They have seen it in the war. Just a few hour ago.."Just come to me for report if something out of ordinary may happen. If it doesn't, I'm fine if you do thid job however it suits you." Nao's face grimace as she said the word 'job'.

"Understood." Kazuya said.

"How long until the Volash Cruiser arrives?" Hecto-commander Nao Zhang asked.

"Their estimated time of arrival should be 30 minutes ago. Should we wait for more hour?"

"Oh." Nao stood up. "You stay here wait for them. I'm going back to the commander's room."

"Yes, ma'am." Kazuya saluted.

"Head advisor, emergency message." The communication officer reported.

"Relay it to me."

"Yes, sir."

His wrist computer beeped, signaling the transfer of information.

"Please wait, commander." Kazuya called Nao after taking a glance through the information.

"What?" Nao turned around.

"The Zaryush Cruiser seem to have rescued a stranded in planar area."

"And?"

"The stranded claims to be Her Highness, Duchess of the Wulfaz Kingdom, Princess of the Kruger Imperial, Flyer Trainee Natsuki Kruger and Her Grace, Princess of the Count Fujino, successor of the Kiyohime Kingdom, Shizuru."

"Her Highness the Duchess of Wulfaz? What is a Kruger doing at a place like this?" Nao tilted her head. "Running away from home?"

"No, I believe…."

"No." Hecto-commander turned back towards her command room with her cloak floating behind her.

"It's hardly elegant to deal with a rebellious child."

"That's not it." Kazuya explained. "I believe Her Highness the Duchess of Wulfaz was on board the Volash as a flyer trainee, and Her Grace the successor to the count was on board with her. So…"

"I know that, head advisor. You're too serious."

"….my…apologies"

"Please don't apologize over trivial matters."

"My….yes, ma'am."

"But to think that they were arrived without Volash….hmm..where are they?"

"They are still on the Zaryush Cruiser. The Captain of Zaryush is asking what should she do with them. I believe it would be best to have them come directly to our ship."

"The mischievous Zhang have never gotten along well with the coarse Kruger….." The commander muttered to herself with her arms crossed.

"Then should we have them stay at Zaryush for now? And wait of the arrival of Sub-Admiral Suzushiro to deal with them?"

"What are you thinking?" The lime pupils looked into the head advisor's eyes with wonder. "It sounds like fun, have them come here."

-

A cruiser connect with the command fleet via the tube.

"We're here." Shizuru looked into Natsuki's face as she rubbed her wounded shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"The Grand Duchess of the Zhang Kingdom." Natsuki muttered. "The commander of this fleet is the Grand Duchess of the Zhang Kingdom of all people….."

"Oh, are you talking about Hecto-commander Zhang? What about it?"

"The good spirited Kruger and the back-handed Zhang have never gotten along."

"Really….."

"To be saved by a Zhang, and to have to see her…urrggggghhh…In this condition." Natsuki looked down at how her uniform was. Dust and tearing was evidences on her clothes from all the struggle they have encountered.

"We are prepared for you to board. This way please, You Grace." The captain, who had the insignia of Head Flyer said to Shizuru. Then she faltered a bit and said to Natsuki. "Flyer trainee Kruger."

Natsuki stood up and saluted her.

"Ookini." Shizuru saluted as well and headed for the airlock.

Ten or so flyers were already waiting in the landing bay. The flyer in the middle reminded her for a carnivorous spider. She was fascinating, yet vicious. Her rank insignia showed the rank Hecto-Commander. She must me Hecto-commander Zhang.

When they walked down the stairs, Natsuki saluted, and Shizuru bowed. Zhang took a long gaze at Natsuki as she saluted, and bowed down gracefully. The Flyer around her did the same.

"Welcome to my ship, Your Highness, Your Grace. Oh yes, Your Highness, please act like a member of the royal family on board my ship."

"But….."

"I have not received notice of a Flyer Trainee being assigned to my ship."

"But Hecto-commander…" Natsuki tried to continue putting up a fight.

"beside, it is impossible for me to think of you as a Flyer trainee with those uniform…" Zhang made the finishing blow.

"Then I will do as you say." Natsuki indignantly undid her salute. "It has been a long time, Grand Duchess."

"Really it has, pup. Not since the celebration for Your Highness's graduation from trainee program." Zhang got up from her bow. "I, the Grand Duchess of Zhang would like to give my sincerest congratulations of Your Highness's health and growth..pffftt…but it seems that your quiet became rebellious. Why are your uniform in that state?"

"It's not my intention." Natsuki glared at Zhang. "We have a very hard time. And…" Natsuki look at Shizuru.

"oh." Nao's eyes opened wide in awe. "So you're saying that the successor to a count doing that to you? What really happened Your Grace. Did you raped her?" Lime green pupils questioning Shizuru.

Shizuru was embarrassed. She wondered if Her Grace the Grand Duchess would listen what really happened to them.

"Ara…Your Grace." For some reason, Nao bowed down to Shizuru even though she was of a lower rank than her.

"Eh..for what?" Shizuru's bewilderment grew greater.

"I believes that the Empress was acting too capriciously when she allowed the formation of the Kiyohime Kingdom. I did not think that we should make someone who was unacquinted witth the lifestyle of the Hime a noble. I do not mean to offend, but the weapons that the planet Kiyo had was hardly a threat."

"Caprice you say…." Shizuru did not know what to think.

"But I was absolutely wrong. Your Grace has accomplished far more than enough to deserve your title of the successor to count."

"Oo..Ookini…" _what does she mean I've accomplished enough? Is she talking about how we escape the Aswad gate? But it doesn't sound like that…_

"All of the Empire is aware of how easily angered the Kruger are, and how much destruction that anger can cause. The fear throughout the Empire of it has become legendary. From what I hear, Her Highness Natsuki of the Kruger Family is a Kruger amongst Kruger, I was under the impression that the fire of her anger was unseen since the formation of the universe."

"Grand Duchess." Natsuki said, trying to cut in.

"To make…ehem…Her Highness Natsuki," Nao ignored her "given herself fully to your pleasure in those cloth full of dust, scratches and blooded. I cannot believe that such a task has been accomplished. Not to mention opened a few buttons right there and there, even though I see it all before me. This accomplishment is worthy of not just the title of a countess, but that of a Viceroy, not it is worthy even of the title Duchess. I am in awe."

Shizuru looked down. She could not just take this word at face value. It seemed to her that she was the cause of what the princess conditions is in.

"Don't worry about it Shizuru." Natsuki feeling sorry for her. "She just teasing me by using you. The personality of the Zhang is as twisted as a DNA. To borrow the words of the Grand Duchess, Her Grace Nao of the Zhang Family, is Zhang amongst Zhang. She is known as someone who has raised the roundabout techniques of insulting others that the Zhang have developed in the last millennium to an artistic level."

Nao laughed, and looked directly into Shizuru's eyes for the first time. "But it is true that I like you. I heard that you are becoming an administrative flyer. I wish you could fight under my command."

"Quit it, spider! Before we discuss the future," Natsuki quickly cut her off. "Could you prepare a uniform for me?" I would also like to take a bath."

"Okay, pups. I'll ask an officer to prepare your bath."

"Don't 'pup' me, spider. And this," Natsuki took out a data crystal from her breast pocket. "It is the navigational log from the cruiser Volash."

The Flyers saluted to the data crystal that Natsuki held in her hand. There was a moment of silence, until it was broken by Nao.

"Head advisor, please take it."

"Yes, ma'am." A Flyer with dark brown hair, who for some reason showed deep exhaustion in his green eyes, stepped forward and reluctantly took the data crystal.

"Well then, Your Highness, Successor to the Count. This way please. I will show you to your rooms. Oh, it seems like the Successor to the Count should go to infirmary first." Nao looked at Shizuru's shoulder. "Really, how did you did it? To have Her Highness let you off with just a shoulder after you undress ..no..raped her?"

"I did not shoot her." Natsuki said angrily. "So, stop with the raped thing, Spider!"


	25. Chapter 22 The Capitol

**Chapter 22 - The Capitol**

There was no map for that city. The buildings composing the city were not built upon earth, but instead constantly moved across an arc of spatial distortion by a gravity well. Because only the Capitol Traffic Network was aware of the location of the Capitol at any time, and even then only for split second, the Capitol was called "The Capitol of Confusion."

It is also called "The Wolve's den." The crest of the Empire was also a metaphor for the Empire itself. Another name is "The capitol of love." There are few opportunities for a race who lives on orbital manors and spaceships, and spread themselves thinly over a vast Empire to meet each other. Therefore they normally spend half of their life at this capitol. There was always a party somewhere in the capitol, where all was welcome, and they gathered here to meet others like them.

Just "Home", a race calls it. That it because any member of that race was probably born from an explosive encounter that occurred here. They are born and raised here, spread themselves across the vast universe, and then eventually come back. The Capitol of Confusion, The Capitol of Love, Home, The Capitol Kruger Kingdom. The star that shines over the Capitol is the star of Kruger. Yes, to the Hime, Kruger is the name of the city-ship that their ancestors lived in, the name of the Empress, and the name of the star that shines over their home. The source of this name comes from the goddess of forest back when they were farmers,, before they discovered the secrets of space flight. A thousand years of change, the name still the same. Therefore the system is called the Kruger Kingdom. The title Duchess of Kruger is always given to the Empress family. Shizuru and Natsuki's communication ship from Julia Fleet entered the Capitol from one of the Kruger System gate.

Unlike the communication ship of a cruiser, a communication ship of a command fleet is built like a small-scale passenger transport. It was designed to relay not only information but messengers and nobles, so there were twelve fully furnished guest rooms, and even a small recreation room.

When shizuru, who was bored in her room, looked into the recreation room, she saw there.

"Ara, are you done with your report already?" Shizuru initiated conversation.

"Yes." Natsuki turned around and pointed to the large screen before them. "What do you think of Kruger Kingdom so far?"

The home of the Hime was displayed in the screen before them. To Shizuru, the Capitol was a swarm of lights. It was far too beautiful a sight to her. Since the communications ship was on the same orbit as the Capitol, it was like looking through a galaxy lengthwise.

"It's far more than I expected. It's incredible."

"Really." An innocent and satisfied smile appeared on the Princess's face.

Shizuru grabbed a cup of tea and sat down next to Natsuki. The impression of the Capitol that she told Natsuki was honest. But her heart was filled with completely different emotion. _Loneliness._

It was quite a bit longer than she had expected, but the trip from Sora System to the Capitol was coming to an end. The end of this trip would also mean saying goodbye to Natsuki. Any chance were that it would be permanent goodbye. To make things worse, Natsuki spent most of her time cooped up in her room writing her report. The only time she ever saw her was during meals.

"Did the captain tell you?"

"What?"

"We are headed towards the Imperial Palace."

"Directly?" Shizuru was surprised.

"Yes. Her Majesty the Empress weems to want to talk to us."

"With you, you mean."

"No. Not just me, she wants to talk to you as well."

"Ara." Shizuru eyes widen amazed. "You say it so casually. But I guess you are just meeting your grandmother."

"I have not seen my grandmother in a year."

"Ara. Then I'm sure you two have a lot of catching up to do."

"We do, but Her Majesty is probably busy. You may have forgotten, but the Empire is in the midst of a war."

"I know. I wonder how the war is going. Have you heard anything?"

"I have not heard anything. " Natsuki tilted her head. "Are you worried?"

"Ara, of course. Have you forgotten where my homeworld is?"

The Kiyohime System was on the other side of the front line. It was her home world, and it was filled with people who believed that Shizuru was the daughter of a traitor. The people of her home world would probably get along with the invaders. No matter how hard she tried not to think about it, all she could think about was how they would deal with her father the Count of Kiyohime.

They had not meet in many years, and they did not know each other very well to begin with, but she was Shizuru's only living relation.

"Ah, Yes." Natsuki made a sad face. "It was a stupid question, I should not have asked."

"It's alright. I'd forgotten about it myself when we were in Aswad."

"We were rather busy then."

"You have a way of making great understatements sometimes." Shizuru said, impressed.

The lights of the capitol approaced quickly, and soon they were able to make out the closest building. Numerous spheres moved along a cylinder like appendages. It looked like a peculiar organism that had hit an evolutionary dead end.

"It's the Schwartz shipyards. The Cruiser Volash was born there." Natsuki told Shizuru.

"I see"

"That is a nursery yard." She said pointing at something floating beyond the Schwartz shipyards. "There are many of those in the capitol. There is no gravity inside, and it's cushioned inside with styrofoam stars floating inside. A child is tossed in there with a headpiece soon after they are born. There they teach themselves about action and reaction, and learn how to use their headpiece. The navigational lobe doesn't develop unless this is done while the brain is still growing…"

Shizuru thought to herself while listening to Natsuki give her a tour of the capitol_. Is she as sad as I am that we'll be leaving each other soon? Does she not want that to happen as much as I do?_

"Stride proudly. You are a hero." Natsuki frowned.

"First I've heard of it." Shizuru muttered to herself.

"Baka!"

The large doors opened. The soft lights of the morning cast down on the Hall of Imperial Visitation. There were many beams above them, but there was no ceiling for them to support, and instead there was just a vast blue sky. Various standards hungs from the beams; the standards of various noble families in the Empire. Shizuru found the new family standard of the Count Kiyohime Kingdom at the very front. The two of them walked down the black marble floor towards the throne. Shizuru did not wish to blunder again the way she did when she first met Natsuki, so she studied the faces of the nobles and royalty that she may meet today in the communication ships. So she was able to tell who the three people that greeted her were.

The one getting up from the throne of flight right now, surrounded by the family standard of three royal families, with a large imperial flag behind her, is of course Natsuki's grandmother, Her Majesty The Empress Inoue Kruger. The women to her right, standing one rung lower than the throne, with dark black hair is Natsuki's mother, Her Highness, Queen of the Kruger Imperial, Rei Kruger. And the beautiful young women with golden hair, smiling below the queen, is Natsuki cousin, the infamous High Commander that invaded the Kiyo System, Her Highness, Duchess of the Searrs Kingdom, Alyssa Searrs.

Shizuru was confused. Both the Empress and the Queen of Kruger looked like they were Natsuki's siblings. In fact, the Queen of Kruger looked older than the Empress. She thought she understood how the Hime aged, but now that she faced an example of it, it seemed incredibly peculiar. How did the Hime themselves tell how old everyone was?

Natsuki bow infront of the Empress. Shizuru quickly followed suit.

"Raise, successor to the count." A voice said near her. When she raise her head, Inoue had walked down from the throne and stood immediately in front of her.

"Please accept the thanks of the Kruger, successor to a count." Inoue motioned to Natsuki. "She is no one at this point. But she has great potential. You are the one that kept that potential alive. If not for you, I would not have seen this young alive again."

"Not at all." Shizuru's cheek went red. "I… I have not done anything. In fact she saved me countless times…"

"Not at all, successor to a count." Inoue took Shizuru's hand. "You are probably not aware of it yourself, so it was not a mistake for you to say so." Green pupils, placed in a beautiful face similar to Natsuki's gaze at her close by. The Empress's hands were cold, but she felt warm in them.

"You have my sincerest thanks as well, successor to a count." Said Rei. "My daughter is quite reckless sometime. She would jump and run into any war without a caution. That why…. Without you to calm her, my daughter would not be standing here right now."

"Exactly." Said Inoue. "I have already read the Princess's report. I am aware of those who ended up aiding you two. I feel gratitude towards them as well, but right now we are thanking you."

"But she helped me a lot as well. Especially in space."

"That was her duty, as ordered by Saeko." When she said that, a look fo grief flashed over her olderly face. "you are unused to space. My daughter was ordered to help you through that you are unused to. But no one order you to take that shot from her."

"Feel pride in the heroism of what you did, young lady." Inoue said. "At least, it was the absolute pinnacle in noble heroism for us."

"Please allow me to thank you as well, Successor to the Count." Alyssa humbly cut in. "I am very happy that you have made it possible for me to see my cousin again. I think Nao also think the same, although she doesn't show it."

Shizuru finally relax with Alyssa's honest words of thanks. The Empress and the Queen's words of thanks were far too formal and roundabout for her to feel thanked. She understood how they felt, but it felt like they were for someone else.

"I am honored, you Highness." Shizuru bowed down. "You Majesty and Your Highness the Queen, I am honored by the great words that you have given me."

"You've done more than enough to deserve hem, Shizuru." Natsuki whispered to her. "Act more

Proudly."

"Am I really acting that nervously?" Shizuru was trying to act as proud as she could, but she was uncertain as to how successful she was. It was a mere action she took out of instinct. The only things she thought at that moment was to save Natsuki.

"Yes, you look pale."

"My beloved daughter, you left something out of your report." Rei grinned. "You did not mention that you had become so friendly with the Successor to the count."

"Anyone would become friendly with each other after going through so much danger together, mom." Natsuki replied.

"I see." Rei said with a malicious smirk on her face. "Natsuki, would you like to go on a walk with me?"

"You may go, Natsuki." Inoue said in a depressed tone. "It seems that I must take care of an unpleasant taks. Successor to a count, follow me."

"Yes….but what do you mean by unpleasent task?" Shizuru asked.

"I must give you bad news."


	26. Chapter 23 Those Who Falls

**Chapter 23 - Those who Falls**

Natsuki walked on white sand, following her mother. A stream of water made a small river above the white sand. Filled with the light reflecting off the sand, the entire room was bleached white. Numerous white pillars. It was not inlaid, so it could not be read until one was very close, but those pillars were filled with names, written on it tiny letters.

These are the names of those who died for the Empire. Carved in order of his or her death regardless of status, anyone who died at the same time in alphabetical order. If one took their time to look through them, he or she would find the name Kruger mixed in with those of gentry and citizens. The same phrase was carved at the top of every pillar. "Stars, Please heed the wish of you short-lived one, Our wish, That is, To end our lives amongst you". The phrase more like a prayer. This was the Hall of memories, a holy space even for unreligious Hime.

Rei Kruger stopped in front of one such pillar. "Have I said, welcome home yet?"

"No. You have not yet." Natsuki responded.

"Well then, welcome home my dissolute daughter. I am glad that you are back." Rei turned around, "Our bodies are always young, but our spirits will age. Even the Hime who posses youthful bodies until death, only have a short youthful period. I am nearing the end of that period. You have experienced something valuable during your true youth."

Rei Kruger turned back towards the stone pillar, and glanced at a point on it. Natsuki look closely at it as well. Saeko Kuga.

"I have never told you this before, My Love. But I have not altered you genes. It is as it was in the beginning. That is why your ears are small for a Kruger."

Natsuki raised her head. "why?"

"Of course because there was no need. Saeko gave me a fantastic gift by coincidence. With my limited talents, I would have been unable to make you any more beautiful than you already are."

"Mom, I am uncertain why but…." Natsuki was unsure what her own feeling were. "I am glad to hear that."

"Really?" Rei laughed light-heartdly, "Good. I thought you hated me for the ears."

"The truth is, I did…a little." Natsuki confessed.

"Well that can't be helped, my beautiful daughter." Rei suddenly become silent after saying that. She simply stared at the name on the stone pillar with her mouth closed. Natsuki also remained silently and gazed at the stone pillar with her mother.

"They were wonderful days." Rei eventually began speaking again. "Next to a gaint star nearing its death, surrounded by greenery that stretched to the horizon….Saeko and I loved each other, and used each of our privilege to cause a great deal of trouble to each other."

"Privilege? Causing trouble for each other is a privilege?"

"To be troubles by the other" Rei smiled. "I do not have to worry now, my child. You are still too young to fall in love."

"Really…." Natsuki tried to rebut, but she could not say anything. "Tell me, mother. Was it your idea..to have me serve aboard Knight Saeko's ship?"

"Is it not too convenient to be coincidence? I wished for her to polish the gem that I had created. I am retired, but I do hold the rank of Admiral, so it was not hard to arrange it." Rei thought for a moment. "I suppose I need to come out of retirement now that we are in war. I fear the thought of having to serve under that girl from Searrs Family."

"I believe she's just a few years older than me…" Natsuki pointed out instinctively.

"Hahaha..you never knew. Youth these days, very energetic one."

"more importantly, mom." A new question appeared in Natsuki's mind. "Did you also arrange for Shizuru to board Volash?"

"Yes." Rei confirmed. "It was mostly coincidence though. There were about fifteen ships suitable for the Successor to the Count to board. I secretly nominated for her ship to do so. I believed it would do no harm for you to have a friend who was born on planet. Though I had no idea that you would become so close to her."

"It seems to me now that everything was arranged by you, mom… even the invasion by the United Mankind?"  
"You think too much of me, my daughter. If I were to have aided the enemy, your grandmother would tear me apart."

"But even so, you are working behind the scenes to raise me, mom…" Natsuki did not like the fact.

"I am your parent. I gave birth to you with a gift from Saeko, and I raised you alone. But that is now over. You are now a daughter of the Empire."

"Really?" Natsuki gazed at the side of Rei's face suspiciously.

"She was a wonderful woman. " Rei continued to recollect her memories, ignoring her daughter's suspicions. "When we first met, I was a failure Deca-commander, and she was a hopeful Forward Flyer. I can think of hundred reasons why I was attracted to her, but I still have no idea why she loved me."

"it was your title." Natsuki regretted saying so even as she said it. She did not even know wby she said something so malicious, probably because of her anger towards her mother. Rei turned around. Her eyes were narrowed, clearly showing her anger. "You have known Saeko since you were a child. You were also aboard her ship. Do you evaluate half of your self as such a person after that, Duchess of Wulfaz Kingdom, Princess Natsuki Kruger.? Answer me honestly."

"No." Natsuki droped her head. "She was not like that."

Rei gazed at her daughter for a moment. She probably sensed honest regret within her. "Good then, you fool. Never speak such idiocy again."

"Yes…." Natsuki was unable to look up again. "Could you tell me one more thing? Do you know what Hecto-commander Saeko thought of me?"

"She spoke a word of you to me privately….that you were her pride."

"I am her pride…."

The happy days she spent with Saeko ran through Natsuki's mind. Memories of the person, who would be considered her mother on a planet, ran through her mind. And only happy memories….

Her vision blurred, and she felt something warm on her cheek.

"Are you crying, Natsuki?" Rei noticed it.

"I am not crying because you scolded me, mom." Natsuki sobbed, as if she was still a child.

"Then are you crying in grief for Saeko's death?"

Natsuki could not speak because she was desperately trying to keep herself from brawling. She quietly nodded.

"I'm disappointed in you. It seems that I have made a mistake raising you." She said, but her tone was filled with warm, "I have not seen you cry since you stopped wearing diapers, heart of steel." Rei hugged Natsuki.

"Listen, our family has a reputation to protect, as the cold Kruger, the heartless Kruger, that the Kruger do not twitch an eyebrow even at the death of a close friend or a loved one. What would happen to this infamous reputation of ours that our ancestors worked so hard to make, if people were to know that a Kruger has cried? It is all right to be angry; it is all right to smile at times. But someone born to the Kruger Family does not have the right to cry. You cannot let your guard down even when you are surrounded by family. If you really need to cry, do it where no one can see you."

"You are unfair, mother." Natsuki tilted her crying face up from her mother's chest

"How?"

"You didn't teach me how to cry without shedding tears like that."

"The enemy have turned nearby gates into military supply basses and have completely blocked tranportation in the area. This would not be difficult for the Star Forces to recover. The problem is…"

Another red are appeared on the other side of Kiyo System gate. It included several gates, but the borders were uncertain.

"The enemy headed towards the capitol with forces of about 150 divisions of fleet. The enemy movement near Sora was nothing more than a diversion. We did predict this but we did not expected them to come in through Kiyohime." Admiral Alyssa Searrs grimace of the fact.

"We retaliated with 200 divisions of fleet under my command. We did succeed in defeating them, but our losses were heavy. We lost many good people and many good ships."

The planar space diagram disappeared.

"This is all we know right now. We need to rebuild the Star Forces, send forces defend the frontiers and check to see if they have managed to penetrate any other point. So we will need at least three years to build a force capable of breaking the wall in the Kiyohime Kingdom."

Shizuru thought about what that meant. The Kiyohime Planet was on the other side of the walls….

"It is unfortunate, Successor to the Count." The Empress said in sysmpathaizing tone. "I did not wish to repay your favor of giving a good news with such a bad news, but the truth is the truth. We cannot put the entire Empire to danger to save a small part of it. Contact with your territory has been cut, and will not return for a long while."

Shizuru was stunned. Not only has she lost contact with her home the Kiyo Planet, she has also lost contact with her second home, the Sora System, where all of her friends are. She lost everything from her past….but she did not feel sad about it.

Shizuru was both puzzled and shocked by her own lack of grief.


	27. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

**_On the command bridge of the flagship of the training division, Julia._**

"They're taking Julia away from me!?" Nao shouted out loud.

"It was older for a Sub-Admiral to be a commander of a division fleet to begin with." High Commander of the Regional Defense Headquarters, Star Forces Admiral Suzushiro's hologram explained. "Haruka, it's awkward."

"That's what I said." The hologram continued after a brief silence. "As you know, we lost many ships in the battle three years ago. Our fleet has finally been recognized. We will have you command a fleet and work under me." "reorganized, Haruka" "Urrggghhh"

"Which fleet you are on?"

"It has not been born yet."

"Its "formed" Haruka"

"Thats what I said, Yukino."

"It's not been formed yet. We will have you serve as a Sub-commander of the Regional Defense Headquarters for now, but it will not last long. The time for the enemy to lean.." "learn" "LEARN.. geez, Yukino, stop correcting me!"

"ehem…the time for the enemy to learn what the Imperial Star Forces is capable of is quickly approaching."

"Has my flagship been decided? I personally like Julia"

"It is certain that it will not be Julia. Julia is the flagship for training division. Give it to your successor."

Nao glared

"Anyways that is what has been decided." Tactician Yukino quickly said. "The order will officially go out in three days. Settle things over there before then. I'm prepared to discuss the staff for your new command. Now if you will excuse us… Congratulation Sub-Admiral Zhang."

The hologram of the high commander disappeared.

Nao continued glaring at where the hologram had been. "Congratulation!? Does she think that I wanted a promotion? I am already a Grand Duchess!"

Kazuya was relieved to hear what had just transpired. He could not bear to have Nao as his commanding officer. He thought that he would get used to her after three years, but it turned out to be just wishful thinking. She was selfish and whimsical. But what was worse was the fact that she was a very capable commander!

I hope this new commander is easier to deal with. Kazuya dreamt to himself.

"What are you so happy about, head advisor?" Nao was glaring at him.

"Nothing." Kazuya wiped the happy look off his face.

"Oh? You're welcome to be happy. Please settle your belongings as well."

"Huh? Why?" Kazuya was stunned.

"You heard. She said that she's prepared to discuss the staff I want for my new command. You're the new head advisor."

"Wait!" Kazuya was taken back. "I am a Hecto-commander?. My rank is too low."

"You're about due for a promotion. I'll back you up. After all I did become success in this world. I have spread this fortune amongst my subordinates. Congratulation, Deca-commander Kazuya Kurauchi."

"I am thankful for this fortunate opportunity but…."

"Is there a problem?" Nao crossed her arms.

"No, it is a great honor. Thank you very much." That was all Kazuya could say.

"You're welcome." Nao then turned around to declare to the rest of the bridge crew. "You're all getting promoted! I'm taking you all with me!"

Kazuya sighed heavily in the happy uproar of the bridge.

_**Kruger Kingdom: Airlock aboard the propellant tank inspection ship Arika Inc, cruising three light seconds away from the capitol.**_

"We were really close there." Arika said as she took her pressure suit off. "The electromagnetic containment field was degrading. But the A.I on the remote monitoring outposts were malfunctioning and the database misreported the…."

"Please don't lie to me, too." Erstin frowned as she helped Arika out of her pressure suit. "You did it again didn't you, Arika?"

"You got me." Arika stuck her tongue out

"Why do you always insist that you repaired something that you didn't"

"But we make so much more for making repairs during checkups than we do for just check up."

"That is true, but we have plenty of work to do even without doing that. The headquarters is getting suspicious"

"What?" Arika frowned at the bad news.

"'Why do the fuel tanks that Arika Incorporated inspect always have unexpected problem? Will the answer to this problem create a new field of statistic, or is this caused by another reason?' they said" Erstin paused a moment. "Want to make a bet? I'm bet my life savings that it doesn't create a new field of statistic"

"It's alright, the Kruger family is backing us up." She said mostly to herself.

"Arika Inc. still has a lot of potential for expansion."

"Okay…" Arika gave up. "This will be the last time."

**_At Capitol Kruger Kingdom: Bridge aboard the docked assault ship Duran_**

Everything was new. That was to be expected. Duran had just come out of the Schwartz Shipyards. It was a brand new ship that has not even gone throught its breaking-in cruise.

Natsuki touched the brand new electronics on the bridge, and breathed in the thrilling and sweat frangrance of the new ship. Her heart was filled with pride and joy when she looked up to the ship standard, a blue wolf.

This is the first ship given to her.

The Star Forces has not engaged in a full-scale operation during the last three years. It did not have the power to do so. It seems to have been the same for the enemy, nothing more than small-scale skirmishes occurred. Soon a real offensive by the Empire will begin. Natsuki and this ships of hers will head to a battle.

Natsuki breathed in deeply, trying to calm her excitement.

No one was aboard the bridge. The crewmen were all gone preparing themselves before the ship left, and the Flyers were all busy supervising them. There were four Flyer other than Natsuki; two from the Piloting branch, one from engineering branch to be the supervisor for the crewmen, and an Administrative Wing Flyer to be the ship clerk.

"Captain." The clerk came in to report. "We have finished loading food and spare parts onto the ship."

Natsuki chuckle at the formal salute. _Perhaps she is bitter about my calling her Administrative Wing Flyer Fujino._

"You and I are the only ones here, Shizuru."

Shizuru smiled "Ara. Yes. I wanted to see you. I miss you so much."

"Listen, I'm about to reveal top secret information to you….I miss you too. And I want to see you, too."

"I'll make sure to keep it secret. But you really haven't changed. You're exactly as you were three years ago." Shizuru arms come around Natsuki's waist.

"How can I change in just three years? You've gotten a little older"

"I prefer to call it 'matured', my love"

"Pfttt…"

"Did you just laugh, Captain?"

"I told you that we're the only one here." Natsuki scolded.

"But we can't act too familiar with each other when people are around."

"Yes, it would affect morale."

"We might accidentally call each other by our first names. Maybe I should get in the habit of calling you Captain of Deca-Commander Kruger."

"Do you want to?" A mix of worry and anger filled her heart.

"Do you think I do, My Natsuki?" Shizuru laughed with her eyes.

"Then…." Natsuki turned around. Her dark blue hair flew through the air, and the connection at the end of her data links shook like an exotic earring.

"Just call me Natsuki!"

_To be continued…Hime Of The Stars II_


	28. Caption The Missing Chapter

**Caption - The Missing Chapter  
**

_Earlier, in the transporter automaton…._

"The ship is on right course." Erstin announce through the communicator. "In five minute, I have to cease the communication as the ship enter the planar space. The ship will be in auto-pilot, but, you don't have to worry. I have locate the target ship to dock and sent out the communication wave massege. Therefore, Your Highness, we at the Aswad Control Room wish you luck. May the Empire win the war."

_Silence…._

"Shizuru, can you not move too much. It's cramped in this ship."

"It's hardly called a ship, Natsuki. This is an auto transporter."

"I can't believe as a Hime I am aboard a ship that doesn't have a spatial support and a control glove." Natsuki exhaled.

"I've told you. This is not a ship. It's an auto transporter" Shizuru stated matter of factly again.

"I know. But this is really depressing. Don't move too much. I suddenly have an urge to shoot you again." Annoyed clearly in Natsuki's voice.

"Ouch! Ara. I'm already wounded here."

"Watch where you're hand are." Natsuki huffed.

"Ara. My hand is safe on your side."

"No! Baka..Its..Its..touching my bottom" the last word come out as a mere muttered.

"What? I can't hear you, Nat.."

"You're touching my bottom, Baka!" now the word came loudly deafining.

"ma..ma…what can I do. We don't have enough space in here."

"I know.."

"fhuh…" another exhaled from Shizuru.

_Silence…._

"Dear stars, Please heed the wish of your short-lived one, Our wish, That is, To end our lives amongst your princess." Closing her eyes, Shizuru said those word as the only prayer she know. Tranquilty...

"Shizuru…." Natsuki suddenly feel sad by Shizuru's word. "Thank you."

"Hmm?" questioning red pupils meet green one.

"Thank you for saving my life before. Thank you for taking that shot for me."

"It's nothing, Natsuki. I don't want to see you're wounded, even getting any scratches"

"Shizuru…"

"Hmm?" the gaze softening on the ruby eyes.

Green one look determine onto the ruby pupils . "I…. You are my pride." As those words escape, red eyes widening shocked of what happening next, before voluntary close and savour the moment. Natsuki sweet lips close the distance between them, the hand around Shizuru tighen and clench the cloth shakingly. As those words came from Natsuki, and the others lip touch hers, finally, Shizuru understand, what has been those hurt and heartbeat she been experience all through their journey.

It's Love…..

My precious princess….


	29. Afterword

**Afterword**

Ohayou gozaimasu,

Wow.. finally it's end.

Thank you for all your support by reviews and Private messages.

It's been a very long chapter marathon for me. I've been finished writing all the last chapters but didn't have opportunities to upload it.

Sorry if I'm disappointed some of reader that hope for more mushy—mushy Shiznat romantic love, but I save it for Hime Of The Stars II.

Therefore. Please continue to support me. Until next…

Arigatou Gozaimasu

Now – with the ending song!

There are so many things I didn't notice.  
I think of the me until today,  
And I almost feel fustrated at how pathetic I am.

I fasten the usually loosened seat belt,  
I adjusted my elbows and looked,  
Facing the east that is slipping away.

As this tense feeling faces me directly,  
I felt this painful warmth for the first time, while you are there.

Forever, the tears are flowing.  
My chest is brimming with them,  
No matter where you are, no matter who you are talking to.  
I want to be with you, come to my side.  
Through our connected hands and our fingertips, I transfer the feelings inside me  
Together with my body heat, and I can't stop them.

Even now the tears are flowing.  
My chest is brimming with them.  
I am always looking for the tracks left by your heels.  
I want to be with you, come to my side.  
Whether we are laughing, crying and or even quarrelling,  
Whether it be morning, noon, night, now or even tomorrow,  
Just keep your eyes on mine.


End file.
